Chuck Vs The Old Man
by Michael66
Summary: Chuck is taken over the holidays by an old adversary that Team B thought was held in a secure facility.   This is a slightly AU story at the beginning of season 4.
1. The Old Man

**A/N**: 8/28/11

I'd like to thank **P.J. Murphy** for his beta work and advice. It is so obvious when you look at the before and after versions of something you write.

If you are expecting Charah fluff, you won't find it here. This is a substantially darker, spy story. You might enjoy my other story, Chuck vs The Three Day Tour.

This story takes place shortly after my first piece of fiction; _Chuck vs The Little Girl. _I've gone AU a bit from the show. This story probably fits through _Chuck Versus The Aisle of Terror._

I've decided to remove the first chapter as it was too confusing to folks and invite you to move to Chapter 2.


	2. Thanksgiving

A/N: And the fun (?) begins.

The rough draft for Chapter 3 is finished, but it needs a little work.

**Thanks again to P.J. Murphy** for his beta work and advice.

So, how about some reviews? Let me know what you think and where you think this is going.

* * *

_**Nov. 24, 2010 - A Coffee Shop**_

Agent Roberts hadn't, as the cliché went, slept in days. He had taken a few days off and burned through more money than he intended to. He was trying to make that big score that would pay off his gambling debts. Instead his bookie's muscle was after him. He didn't dare go home, and he couldn't go to his bosses. Between a rock and a hard place would have been much more comfortable.

He received a call earlier this morning. Someone wanted to talk to Agent Carmichael but did not want to go through official channels. For the price of his debts, all he had to do was put two people in touch with each other. He rationalized that he wasn't giving away any secrets, but at this point he wasn't going to start asking questions. Like why.

He had been waiting in the coffee shop for an hour already. Three cups later and his stomach was screaming. The caffeine was not helping, either. He almost fell out of his chair when his phone rang.

"Roberts. Fine, I'll be here."

The call ended on the other end as he stared at his mobile phone. His eye caught movement at the front door of the shop. _Very nice_, he thought. On any other day he would have tried to put the moves on her. Ironically, she was moving towards him.

"Crap," he muttered. "I look like shit and they send someone like that."

"Robert?" she asked with a smile as she arrived at the table.

"No, Roberts. John Roberts, actually. Have a seat." _Damn, she is hot _was all he could think about as she slid the chair out and smiled.

She offered her hand, "Hannah," she said as she sat across from him. "I've been authorized to offer you thirty thousand. Will that be enough?"

_Right to the chase_. His eyes narrowed. Talk about too good to be true. "Thirty K for an introduction? What gives?"

She smiled again. "I don't think you really care, do you?"

He slumped back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. She was right, and the money would make things a lot easier for him.

"If it helps you, we don't need the introduction," she added. "Just a phone number."

That got Roberts' attention. "Say again?"

"I just need his phone number and can introduce myself. You don't need to be involved any further."

This couldn't have worked out any better. "That suits me just fine. No connections to me. However, it will have to wait until Friday."

"Why Friday?"

"Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and it would look odd if I checked in. On Friday, most people will still be out and there will be fewer questions."

She nodded. Roberts thought she was probably manipulating him, but to gaze into those playful green eyes made it worth the effort. "Very well. What time will you have it?"

"In the morning? Say 9:30?"

"Acceptable. We'll meet here to make the exchange." Hannah slid out of the chair, smiled at him, and headed to the door. He watched her walk all the way out, almost forgetting he just wiped out his gambling debts.

_God, that skirt moves well._

_**Nov. 25, 2010 - Thanksgiving Day - Chuck and Sarah's Bedroom.**_

He awakened in the darkness. His voice was a strained whisper.

"Sarah?"

Slowly, he rolled on to his side, feeling for her. She wasn't there. Chuck tried to get up, but his head felt like cement. With someone putting a sledgehammer to it.

"Good Lord, how much did I drink last night?" he muttered to himself.

"Too much. But not enough to stop you from, well..."

Sarah was standing at the door with a coffee in her hand and a silly grin on her face.

"Sarah! You're naked! And you were in the kitchen like that? What about Morgan?" He saw the coffee in her hand and was pouty. "None for me?"

"Alex took him home." She tiptoed into the room, gently swinging a game controller by its cord. She smiled, enjoying the visible effect she was having on him.

_God, that smile!_

Chuck leaned on his elbows and watched her every movement, her ass swaying, the muscles of her long legs, that taut stomach…God, that navel! He smiled as his eyes moved upwards to take in the sight of her breasts slightly bouncing. His breathing got even shallower. He threw the sheet off, inviting her to join him. He missed being able to just look at her without fear of what's-his-name interrupting.

_Wait. What?_ Did Sarah actually make him forget the name of his best friend since the age of six?

"Hey, where did you find that? Morgan and I looked all over for it." Chuck couldn't believe it. Morgan wasn't even there, and he was still intruding on them.

Her eyes twinkled. "My accomplice is quite good at hiding things."

"Say what? Why you evil temptress," he said with a hearty laugh. "I promised Morgan we could get some 'Call of Duty' in. I feel so guilty I've been neglecting him for weeks."

Sarah raised a devious eyebrow, "I don't think he really minded." She dropped the controller on the floor and towards the bed towards the bed. "THIS is for you. Extra strong. You're going to need it!" She held it out for him to take, but only enough to make him reach for it. She ran her other hand down his side, her nails gently tracing across his stomach. Her hand slid further down as she started to caress him, and the results were instantaneous. He closed his eyes and was quickly losing the battle of wills against the gorgeous blonde who was crazy enough to be in love with him.

"We have a few hours to kill before we have to start preparing the Team Bartowski Thanksgiving dinner," she purred as she emphasized what she wanted to do during those few hours. "Casey has a date and Morgan invited his mother, so Big Mike will be coming too."

Chuck groaned. More people to cook for. He still couldn't remember agreeing to all this work. Although considering what Sarah was doing to him right now, he was lucky to remember it was Thanksgiving. "At least it will be a spy-free evening."

"It should be interesting. John's date is Carina!"

Another groan. _And she's doing this on purpose_, he whimpered.

Sarah grew tired of teasing Chuck and straddled him. A few kisses and caresses in the right places by Chuck, and she was moaning as well.

_**Thanksgiving Dinner**_

With ten people coming, dinner was prepared Team B style: everywhere. Chuck was busy checking on things in each kitchen. He insisted on making the turkey at home, but he had several pies going at Ellie's and various odds and ends at Casey's.

Ellie agreed not to help. At least in Chuck's presence. Tasting, adding, stirring and disappearing before another Chuck kitchen patrol came by was her _modus operandi_ for the evening. It wasn't that she didn't trust her little brother, it just was…she didn't trust her little brother.

"Becoming a regular hausfrau, eh, Bartowski?" needled Casey. But he had to admit, it smelled good. Much better than anything his hands ever produced. Admittedly, destroying a soufflé didn't make you welcome in the kitchen very often.

**Chuck and Sarah's Apartment**

She hadn't seen him since 'that night'. A quick look at Alex and she toned it down, remembering that they were a couple. And a cute couple at that. She came around the table.

"Hello Morgan," Carina said pleasantly and gave him a quick hug. She then turned to Alex and offered her hand. "And you must be Alex "I'm Carina, an old friend of your father's."

Alex accepted but looked confused. Chuck saw the panic on Morgan's face and hid his face in his hands.

"What is it, Chuck? Did you flash?"

Chuck looked at Sarah, "That would have been so much better." He wasn't sure which would be better. He pointed to Carina and Alex.

"Well, they were going to meet at some point," Sarah said in a demeanor that was in direct contrast to Chuck's state of panic. "Everything looks calm."

"I've never understood women, but calm ones can be very scary. And Carina takes it to a whole 'nother level."

"You're exaggerating. I'll bring in some hors d'oeuvres and assess the damage."

"Assess the dam… no-no-no, this isn't a mission."

The doorbell rang, and Chuck almost hit the ceiling. "Hi Yo! Saved by the bell."

Sarah stifled a laugh, "I'll let them in." She walked through the living room, crooking a finger at Carina, who joined her at the door.

Casey stared down Morgan as if he was planning to do nasty things to him. "Grimes, a word?"

"Ellie! Devon!" Sarah cried out cheerfully. "Come in!"

Morgan took his cue to scoot into the kitchen and the protection of Chuck. "Whew! Chuck, ya gotta have my back here. I think Casey suspects something."

"Suspects what, hon?"

Morgan's eyes went wide. "Alex is right behind me," he mouthed to Chuck.

"Yeah, bud, she is."

Morgan closed his eyes. Not for the first time, it was up to Chuck to defuse a ticking bomb.

"Alex, would you bring these out? Sarah forgot them."

"Uh, sure." She took the tray and stared at Morgan's back as she went into the living room.

"You haven't told her yet? I thought you said you were going to tell her, that it was like a knife hanging over your head. I could understand not telling Casey, but Alex?"

"I never thought we would all be together like this. It just never came up."

Chuck laughed incredulously. "Never came up? In what universe would that topic just 'come up'? 'Oh, by the way Alex, your Dad's girlfriend screwed me on my Star Wars bed sheets'." Chuck shook his head at his best friend's lack of common sense. "OK, just be a man, go out there, and be pleasant. You know Carina, so just leave it at that. IF it ever comes up."

"That's the problem, buddy. I 'know' Carina."

"Go. Just go. Sarah and I talked about the possibility of having to run interference."

"Sarah knows? I'm a dead man."

Chuck pushed Morgan out of the kitchen as the newest guests entered. "Hey Sis! Devon! Happy Thanksgiving!"

Ellie walked over to her little brother and gave him one of her squeezes. "Isn't this great, the whole family together?"

Chuck was starting to think Ellie would make a great femme fatale in a Bond film with the way she hugged people. "Yeah, sis. Losing consciousness here."

Sarah used the distraction to corral Carina, "What are you doing?"

"I swear, nothing," Carina replied with a slightly lascivious tone. "I played it like friends. They're a cute couple and I will do nothing to screw that up. I promise. Wait, you know?"

"Carina, Morgan is Chuck's best friend. They have no secrets. Chuck and I have no secrets."

"NO secrets?" Sarah wasn't going to get that past her.

"None. Well…shut up."

Sarah heard a strangled voice behind her. "I'm…a…dead…man!"

Sarah turned and saw Chuck suffocating. She smiled and moved in to dislodge him. "Ellie, can I borrow your brother?" She straightened out Chuck's shirt. "Didn't you have an announcement to make before Big Mike and Bolonia got here?"

"Oh oh, right, right." He turned to the room, "Hey, everyone. First off, Happy Thanksgiving!"

A chorus of "Happy Thanksgiving!" chants went up, even from Casey.

"OK, I need to play Beckman here for a sec." A few laughs and a grunt followed that. He looked around the room. "Your mission, should you choose to accept it… oops, wrong show, sorry…seriously, everyone, please check your weapons and by that, I mean get rid of them. We are having civilians for dinner." He did a full facepalm. "No-no-no, I mean there will be civilians here. So, please, remember your covers. No mission debriefs, no assassination stories. We're all civilians tonight. Sorry."

A few boos, a few laughs and a grunt met that announcment.

The doorbell rang. Sarah smiled and kissed Chuck. "Wow, that table looks really nice."

Chuck went to greet their civilian guests. "Ah, showtime."

**Nov. 26, 2010 - Black Friday - Chuck and Sarah's Bedroom.**

Chuck's phone vibrated, waking him instantly. He shut it off while trying not to disturb her. He had it all planned: his clothes were in the living room, he'd be out before she could tempt him into staying. It was dark. He whispered softly to her.

"Sarah."

Slowly, he rolled onto his side, and reached out a hand to touch her. He quickly balled his hand into a fist, and shook his head in annoyance.

_The Plan! The Plan!_

He held his breath as he slid out of the bed and moved out to the living room. He dressed quietly and smiled at how he beat the deadly, bad-ass spy sleeping in his bed. He grabbed his shirt, buttoning it as he stepped outside and shut the door, willing it to be silent. He headed over to the Herder he 'borrowed'. Although corporate policy was changed where employees couldn't take a Nerd Herder home…a change necessitated by an incident involving Jeff…having your best friend as your boss did have its perks. With nobody following him and no surveillance, he'd be able to get all of his Christmas shopping done.

"We'll see who's better at hiding things," he said with a smirk as he jumped into the Herder and drove off.

**The Coffee Shop**

Roberts entered the coffee shop a few minutes early; looking like he'd even found a razor. Hannah was already there, sitting at the same table. _Damn, she's gorgeous._ His heart actually skipped a beat. Having slept, his mind was even cognizant enough to notice her skirt. He was a bit embarrassed when she caught his eyes about two feet south of hers, but she merely smiled.

"Good morning, John"

"Hannah, you're looking very nice this morning. Did you have a good Thanksgiving?"

Her smile changed to a frown. "Sorry, I have another appointment. Could we skip to the exchange?"

His face fell. "Yeah."

She flashed him a bit of a smile when that happened. She felt a bit sorry for him, actually. "Have a seat. I'm sorry for being abrupt. I got you a coffee while I waited." She pointed to the cup at her left.

His spirits picked up a bit. "Thanks." He picked up the cup, but her hand reached out to his arm and pushed it gently back down.

"Sorry, but I really do have another appointment. Do you have the number?" She pushed her hair back around her ears and looked right into his eyes.

He pulled out a business card with a phone number written on the back and slid it over to her. She picked it up and flipped it over, reading John's name and number on the other side. She gave him a big toothy smile.

"I'll call you later, John," and gave him a wink.

She slid a small sealed envelope over to him. He picked it up without taking his eyes of her gaze and stuffed it down the inside pocket of his jacket. He finally took a sip of coffee and sat back.

Hannah collected her bag from the back of the chair and got up. She leaned forward and leveled her lips at his ear, giving him quite the show down her open blouse. "We are being watched by my people, so don't leave for another ten minutes." With that she stood up and walked out.

He took another sip of coffee and waved goodbye. His arm slowly comes down, resting the cup on his leg. It would be the last thing he ever did as his eyes fluttered closed. His arm dropped and the coffee fell to the floor. To everyone else, he appeared to have simply fallen asleep.

**A Shopping Mall.**

Humming to himself, Chuck made his way to the Herder carrying several packages when his phone rang. A few more feet and he could put his stuff down. He did not notice the van coming up the aisle from behind. Suddenly he felt a jab in his neck, and then blackness. The van stopped and two men jumped out. They picked him up and dragged him through the open sliding door of the van. A third man rounded up Chuck's packages and followed the others through the door just before it closed and the van sped off.

Hannah leaned over Chuck's unconscious face gazed at him with utter contempt. "I can't kill you. Yet." She sat back with a smile, "What? No funny, cute...," she mouthed the word 'adorable' "...comebacks?" She played with his hair. Slowly she traced the outline of his face with her finger.

The van took a turn down a side street several blocks away from the shopping mall and stopped. The side door opened and several packages were flung out, quickly followed by Chuck's watch. Hannah was about to toss Chuck's phone when it rang, yet again. She looked down and was ready to explode.

"That bitch! I knew it. You miserable, fucking liar!"

Her face reddened with the memory of her humiliation. If she wasn't sure before, she was now. She raised her arm and brought it down in a back-handed slap across Chuck's face. Her smile was replaced with an anguished sneer. She answered the phone and flung it out the door. The door closed again and the van sped off.

**Chuck and Sarah's Bedroom.**

Sarah refused to panic, even though she had called Chuck for the fifth time without getting an answer. But on the sixth call he answered, but all she heard was the sound of a car's wheels squealing. She hung up and called Casey.

8


	3. Those miserable lies

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I needed to get a few things done at my day job.

**Thanks again to P.J. Murphy for his beta work and advice.**

The team discovers that Chuck has been abducted and begin their investigation.

* * *

_**Nov. 26, 2010 - Black Friday – Early Afternoon - Casey's Bedroom**_

Casey grabbed at the nightstand looking for his phone, but it wasn't there. It continued to ring.

She rolled over and kicked Casey, "Answer that, for God's sake. I'm trying to sleep."

Casey gave one of his patented growls. "I'm trying to, Carina, but I can't find the damn phone." Casey tunneled his way under the covers. Carina's attitude did a complete 180.

"Oh, Johnny, boy! Naughty, naughty! Go for it!"

His voice was muffled, "mmsdf masdf jasdfh! UGH!" He flipped the covers off his head, "Walker! What do you want?"

"Sarah, you have your own toy," Carina shouted into the phone without an ounce of self-discipline. "Leave mine alone!" Carina followed the lascivious remark with an even more lascivious journey inside Casey's boxers with her hand.

"Shut up, Carina! I can't hear." Casey turned his attention back to Sarah, "Yeah, yeah, the whole night." He shook his head, "Why are you calling me? Chuck? He's with you! He's not? Crap!" He closed his eyes tightly, and cracked his neck, trying to eliminate the last cobwebs of sleep. "OK, I'll be right over." He ended the call and checked the time. It was already noon. _Not good._

"Johnny, what happened?"

"The moron's gone AWOL."

"It's Black Friday. He probably just went shopping, like all the other civilians."

"He's a spy, but he's still an asset. Either Walker or I should have been with him or tracking him. And now he isn't answering his phone. Come on, get dressed. You can help out."

Carina groaned as she unrolled herself from the covers and got out of bed, dressed only in what she was born with. Casey took a long look and cursed out Chuck.

She jumped onto the bed and rolled over onto Casey, "I think my clothes are on your side of the bed." She pretended to look. "Nope." She looked down at him with a half smile and a glint in her eye. She felt the effect she was having. Any other time, Casey would not have minded a bit.

"Get up, she-devil! Walker is waiting for me, so get your ass in gear. You don't have to come, but you can't stay here."

Carina raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't trust me?"

"That'll be the day," he grunted. Casey didn't want to be the impetus for any new saying containing the words _Fool me thrice_…

_**Chuck and Sarah's Apartment**_

Casey gave the door a knock. Carina stood next to him, trying to get into her heels and using Casey's shoulder for support. "Stop moving, Johnny."

The door opened, a slightly flustered Sarah appeared with a perfunctory "morning" before retreating away from the door to let Casey and Carina in.

"And a good afternoon to you." Casey followed Sarah, leaving Carina balancing on one foot.

"Damnit!" She got her last shoe on and followed, hooking the door shut with her foot.

Sarah shoved a piece of paper under Casey's nose. "Chuck left early this morning, before I woke up to go Christmas shopping. I have no idea how he managed to get out of bed without me feeling it."

Casey stared at the paper while Carina looked over his shoulder. She laughed. "That's so cute!"

Casey and Sarah stared at her as if she's lost her mind. _Carina? Cute?_

"What does 'Eye heart sheep' mean?" Casey asked.

Sarah rolled her eyes, and Carina smirked. "He's a dense one, Walker! I LOVE YOU!"

"Oh." A confused look formed on Casey's face. "But that's a sheep."

"A female sheep is a ewe."

"Whatever." Casey was starting to miss the days when Chuck merely pined for Sarah. "Chuck's getting weirder every day."

Sarah snatched the note back. "Damn it, guys! It's what it says after that." She read it aloud. "'I'll be back around noon. Then we can do lunch at Picanha Grill & Bar'." She pulled out her phone and tried calling Chuck again. "I've tried calling him several times without an answer. The last time the phone picked up, but all I heard was what sounded like screeching tires. Now I only get voicemail."

The three entered the bedroom. Carina looked around, only having seen the room on surveillance footage. "He still has that TRON poster up?"

It was one thing having their privacy violated, but Sarah couldn't stand the mocking and shot Carina a dirty look. "Shut up, that was a present from his dad." She pointed to the computer monitor, a red dot blinking on a map. "That's Chuck's watch and it hasn't moved since I brought it up, just after I called you."

Casey exhaled slowly. Walker was right; Chuck wouldn't have been stupid enough to go completely off the grid. "Alright, I'll drive. The Vic is right out front."

_**Casey's Vic**_

As they headed out, Casey activated the GPS and overlaid it with the software tracking Chuck. A red dot showed the location of the watch. A few minutes later, Casey turned down the same street where the van had stopped earlier.

"We're almost there," Sarah said as she tapped on the display. The car barely came to a stop before Sarah jumped out and ran to the packages lying in the street. Carina was right behind her. There was no sign of Chuck; just his watch. She scanned along the path the packages created and spotted his phone.

With an evidence bag on her hand, she scooped up the phone. The face was cracked, but it was still functioning. She headed back to Carina, who had started picking up the packages. Casey held the shopping bag open for her.

"Maybe we can get some useable prints off of these," he said hopefully.

Neither Carina nor Sarah said a word. Carina moved towards Sarah, who looked pale and was barely holding it together. Carina's hand came up to Sarah's shoulder, but she had already sunk to the ground.

_This is all my fault _was the only thing running through Sarah's head. Carina gently gripped Sarah's shoulder.

"Come on, sweetie, let's get back to Castle and start putting this case together." She knelt down next to Sarah and looked at Casey. He wasn't actually crying, but it's the closest she ever thought she'd see.

"Damn moron," quietly came out of his mouth in frustration and worry. However, it was a little too loud. Sarah was up and on top of him before Carina could even look back at her.

"I warned you!" Sarah's arms flailed at Casey and hit him everywhere.

He just blankly stared at her, still holding the shopping bag. He let her hit his arm, knowing it was out of frustration and panic. She eventually wore herself out and slumped against him. Casey put a gentle hand on her shoulder. For him, that was practically a rib-breaking bear hug.

"We'll find him," he said gently to Sarah, who was sobbing quietly. "I guarantee it." Sarah didn't move, and Casey let her continue.

Carina just stared. She couldn't believe she was seeing Sarah break down like this and Casey letting her do it without so much as a sarcastic grunt. _What has that boy done to them?_

Carina gave them their dignity and turned away. She gathered what was left on the ground, retrieved the bag, and carried everything to the Vic. She returned to Casey and Sarah. "Come on, guys, we have a lot of work to do." She nudged them towards the car.

Casey drove, with Sarah in the passenger seat and Carina in the back, to Castle. Carina leaned forward and put her hand on Sarah's shoulder. Sarah brought her hand up to Carina's and squeezed.

"Limb from goddamn limb," Casey muttered as he stuck his Bluetooth in his ear and activated it. "BECKMAN 911."

The phone chirped. "General." He listened. "Sorry, ma'am, but it is an emergency. They have Chuck." He exhaled in frustration. "We don't know. We're headed to Castle now." He nodded, "Of course, the entire team. Yes, thirty minutes should be good."

He disconnected with the general and hit the button to activate the hands-free again. "Alex". She answered. "Alex, listen, don't talk. Something has happened to Chuck. We think he may have been kidnapped." He listened momentarily. "Yes…no…but…listen, this may not be over. I want you to take Morgan with you and go to my place. Break out three handguns." He listened impatiently. "YES! Small and concealable; for you, Morgan and Devon. And hog-tie Ellie if you have to and get over to Castle." He waited for her reply, and the most minimal of smiles came across his lips. "I love you too, honey. Oh! And Alex, you're in charge. Got that?"

Casey disconnected and rubbed his upper arm where Sarah assaulted it earlier. "Damnit, Walker. My arm is killing me," he grumbled.

_**Casey's Apartment**_

"Morgan! Snap out of it. I need you to focus," Alex implored. She couldn't understand what happened. He was fine just a few seconds ago, when she told him what her father said.

"Chuck… Chuck…," he stammered. "If he isn't safe, then who is?" He brought himself back to reality. "Sorry, Alex. It's just hard to…I'm not a spy. I've had no training. I went on missions, sure. But it was all about Chuck. Even when we went looking for his Mom and rescued Sarah and your father. No, no, I take that back. Not we…_HE_. Chuck. It was all Chuck. With or without that computer flashy thing in his head. I always thought he would save everyone. He always does."

He dropped down on Casey's recliner. Alex wanted to feel sympathy for him. A big part of her wanted to hug him until he suffocated. But time was working against them.

"I know, Morgan. But now it's our turn to return the favor." She produced a Smith and Wesson 908 handgun and held it in front of him. "Take this and put it in your pocket."

Morgan stared at the gun hesitantly. He breathed in sharply.

_C'mon, Morgan. It's time for you to help your best friend. You owe him that,_ he thought to himself. He stood and took the gun, looking to see the safety was on and never putting his finger on the trigger, just like Casey taught him again and again. "Clips," he said with a greater confidence as he held out his hand.

Devon knocked quietly on the door. "Alex?"

She quickly went to the door, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him inside. She held out another 908 for Devon. Devon was not thrilled by what Alex told him over the phone a few minutes ago. He already felt a sense of cold dread go through him, and seeing the proffered gun made it so much worse. The oath he took as part of his medical training picked a bad time to echo in his mind. Put simply, he was as far from awesome as he could be.

He slowly reached for it. _Casey kept reminding me that training he gave us was for a day that might come, _he thought_._ _I guess this is that day._

Alex looked back and forth between the two. She derived a small amount of strength from seeing them slowly come to grips with the realization their family, their friend, was missing without a trace. It was what she needed to see, because she could have used some of that fortitude herself right now.

"Guys, none of us have training. But look at what you did. You took that gun, checked it, put in a clip, chambered a round, and your trigger finger is resting on the outside. Just with muscle memory. My father has been training us for a day like this. And you did exactly what he taught you."

Morgan moved closer to Devon. "Man, I have to confess something to you, dude. Do you know what I do when I get scared like this?"

Devon looked at him, a little afraid of what weirdness might come out of the little guy's mouth. "Err…what?"

He smiled, "WWAD!" Then in response to Devon's puzzled face, "What Would Awesome Do?"

Devon smiled then laughed. "Thanks, bro. OK, now the hard part. Getting Ellie."

Morgan took Alex's arm and pulled her a little closer, giving her a kiss, "Thanks, Alex. Your father tried to make Devon and me ready to defend the home. But they always stopped danger from happening. I guess we never expected danger would come to us."

_**Devon and Ellie's Apartment**_

"Ellie? You up?" Devon called out as he enters the apartment.

"If I wasn't, I am now." Ellie was sitting on the couch watching the news about poor sales this retail season.

"Ah, sorry babe."

It was agreed Morgan and Alex would stay outside and wait. Morgan stood by the door as Alex did a quick recon around the apartment complex.

"Ellie. We need to talk. Can you kill the TV?"

She turned off the TV. "Sure. What's the matter Devon?"

He came over to the couch and sat down next her. "Ellie, I… we, have a problem. And I need you to stay calm."

"Don't tell me, they were sold out of the Japanese languages discs?" Ellie tried to hide a small smirk.

"What? Oh, no, no." He couldn't think of any other way to say it. "Ellie. They took Chuck this morning."

Ellie blinked and then started laughing, "OK, what is my little brother up to?"

"This is not a joke. Someone, for some unknown reason, has taken Chuck. And Casey thinks it might be best if we all head over to Castle. Now. Whatever is happening might not be over."

Ellie didn't move. Devon became worried. "Ellie. We have to move now! Morgan and Alex are outside. For lack of a better word, they're standing guard."

"You're not kidding. Are you?"

Devon knew his window of opportunity was small. Ellie was still trying to get over the 'joke'. In a few moments, she would put her foot down and refuse to move until she knew everything. Of course, she'd do a lot of crying in between.

"OK babe, please forgive me." He grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the house. "Lock the door, Morgan. Where is Alex?"

"Aye, aye, captain!" Morgan complied and fell in behind Devon and Ellie.

Devon's window of opportunity was gone. Ellie was frantic. "Devon, let go of me! What the hell are you doing? Stop!"

Alex heard the commotion and came running. As she rounded the corner, she almost fell headlong into Devon. "What happened?" She saw Ellie practically out of control. "Oh!"

Devon ran towards his minivan with Ellie in tow. Alex and Morgan trailed right behind.

Devon tossed his car keys to Alex. "You drive!"

_**Buy More Parking Lot**_

As the Vic slid into a parking space, Casey noticed Alex, Morgan, Devon, and Ellie heading towards the front door. Ellie looked like she was trying to get away from Devon.

"Oh, great! Everyone's here at the same time. Why don't we put up a big sign: 'Spy Meeting, This Way'!" At least Sarah didn't hear him…or at least pretended not to…as she had already gotten a few yards away from the Vic.

"Walker, the back entrance." That got through as she changed course.

He turned towards Carina, who was busy digging Chuck's stuff out of the back seat, and waited for her to catch up.

He took the two bags from her. "Thanks for helping. It appears the mor… that Chuck…" He went silent with a slight slump.

Carina gave a sympathetic gaze and put her arms around Casey from behind. "Taller, John. Sarah is going to need a lot of help."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and nudged him along to catch up with Sarah. Casey paused briefly and turned to Carina.

"Agent Miller, I'd like for you to stick around as part of the team for the duration. I could use a clearer head with experience right now. Can you get that authorized?"

Carina raised an eyebrow. "Agent Miller? Hmm… Very well, Colonel Casey. I'll talk to my director."

"But we really need you to stay on script with this one. No freelancing. Got it?"

She hesitated and then nodded her agreement. "You're right; I can have my fun later." She got close to his ear. "And I'll want my fun. You owe me that. If you're nice, I'll even leave the handcuffs at home. Or better yet, let you use them on me."

Casey quietly sighed. A few steps later, some rustling from Chuck's bag got his attention. Carina pulled something out of it.

"Johnny, take a look at this." She held out a box from Chuck's bag. It was from Zale's.

"Dammit. Carina, hide that thing."

_**A Dark Room**_

Chuck awoke to darkness. He whispered, hoarsely. "Sarah."

Slowly he rolled to his side, feeling for her. She wasn't there.

_**Castle**_

Carina snapped the cuffs of the latex gloves she wore and began to sort through Chuck's stuff laid out on a corner of the table in the debriefing room. She looked up as Morgan entered and smiled brightly. Having Morgan tell her off was quite the turn-on that night. _And what a night that was_, she thought.

She toned it down as Alex and the others entered. _Bad girl, Carina. Play nice…for now_.

Casey locked the weapons cage and joined the others in the debriefing room. An agent followed his every step with military precision, listening and nodding in agreement at anything Casey said.

"Very well, Mr. Mortensen. Please secure Castle and put us in lockdown."

"Yes, sir." Mortensen's picked up a nearby phone and activated Castle's PA system. "All personnel not part of the Intersect team; you are dismissed from the debriefing room. As of this moment, there will be no communications in or out of Castle for the next few days. You will check in with me and arrangements will be made to secure your covers while in lockdown. Sleep accommodations will be made shortly."

The Castle staff shut down their stations and walked out. Neither a word was spoken nor a complaint heard. Rumors had already circulated.

"Thank you Mr. Mortensen. Is anyone not accounted for?"

"Agent Roberts took a few days off and was to return today. I did see him earlier this morning, but he seems to be out at the moment."

"Find him. You can work at that station right there." Casey pointed to a station outside of the debriefing room but still in clear sight.

"Yes, sir." Mortensen walked out and began his search for Roberts.

"John, what the hell is going on?" Ellie was fuming. "My husband tells me Chuck was 'taken' and then he drags me down here."

"Ellie, we don't know what is happening," Sarah replied as she approached Ellie. "This may be related to your Mom. Or someone just out to get Chuck." She looked at Casey. "We just don't have any clear answers yet and until we do, we thought it best to lock everything down."

"Babe, I am sorry, it's just that sometimes…you want to talk about ever…" Devon tried to offer an explanation, but Ellie turned on him.

"And you! Don't even try to explain this away! You forcefully throw me into a car and drag me into this bunker? I want answers! I need to know what is going on! Who took Chuck?"

Devon turned to Sarah, "She's mad..."

"Damn right I'm mad! What did you expect?" Ellie's patience was gone, and she turned on Morgan next. "And where the hell were you when this happened? He's your best friend. You do Black Friday shopping with him every year! What were you doing that was so important?"

Morgan stepped back and bumped into Alex. "I…I have responsibilities now. The Buy More…"

Ellie closed the distance between Morgan and her. She was ready to tear his head off. "'The Buy More'. God I hate that place! That's where all this cloak and dagger stuff started! I was so happy when it burned to the ground. And then…"

Sarah tried to step between Ellie and Morgan. "Ellie…"

She turned to Sarah with dark and narrowed eyes. "Oh, I haven't even started with you yet!" Ellie was turning a bright crimson. "I trusted you. That's why I agreed to work medical. That was the only reason I agreed to let him go back on his promise. You came to me, sister to sister! He HAD to find our Mom, but she turned out to be this big evil spy and Chuck has to go and save the world. Again! Our father is dead because of this! Chuck almost lost his life trying to be a spy!"

She breathed heavily and her eyes began welling up, "Is there anyone we know who isn't tainted by this spy crap? My own husband carries a gun now." In an aside to Devon, "yeah, I saw that thing!"

She turned back to Sarah, "It's like a disease. Oh, aren't we all one big, happy spy family!" Ellie rubbed her eyes. Any traces of tears were gone and just her fury remained. She moved in on Sarah, her face only inches away, and spoke slowly and forcefully.

"You were supposed to keep him safe! You were supposed to protect him!"

_Protect him_. The voice of Chuck's mother echoed through her mind. Sarah's eyes said it all. _I've failed_.

"That'll be quite enough, Ellie." Beckman's voice boomed throughout Castle and made everyone freeze, including Ellie. It was like watching schoolchildren in a playground who were caught doing something they shouldn't have. All attention was focused on the general.

"Colonel Casey, is the entire team present?"

"Yes, ma'am. Plus one."

"Plus one?"

"Carina Miller. She was on hand when Chuck was taken. Because of her history with the team, she was asked to assist in re-acquiring the asset."

Beckman frowned, "One moment, Colonel." Beckman leaned to her left and spoke with someone off-camera. "I see. Thank the Director for me." She scowled as she returned to the team. "Now could someone explain to me how Carina Miller just happened to be on hand and why the DEA Director just informed me she has been reassigned to the team for as long as the agency needs her?"

Casey is rubbed his temples with a barely audible groan.

"Colonel!" Beckman understandably had no patience at a time like this.

"Ma'am, if I may be permitted to explain?" Carina interrupted Beckman's dressing down of Casey, much to his relief. Beckman looked around the room, sensing they were all in a state of shock over Chuck's abduction. Beckman's voice softened.

"Very well. However, I still expect written reports from every member of the team."

"General, I will see to it, and I will provide mine to you as well." She paused, her demeanor not the usual Carina. Sarah had never seen her friend act so professionally. "Agent Walker and I have been friends for years. Agent Casey and I…," she looked over to Casey with a knowing glance. _She'll find out anyway_. Casey nodded in begrudging agreement.

"Casey and I have been in a …" Carina searched for the right word. "…'friendly' relationship since Prague."

Alex looked wide-eyed at her father and then Carina.

Carina continued. "Ellie invited me to Thanksgiving dinner, which I gladly accepted. I just needed some downtime."

_That wasn't so bad, _she thought. _Now the tough part._ "It appears Agent Carmichael was able to circumvent all of the security precautions the team had in place, ostensibly, to go Christmas shopping, leaving before dawn to beat the crowds. This was not difficult for him to do, considering he had a hand in the development of those protocols. Walker notified Casey as soon as she realized that there was a problem."

Both Casey and Sarah watched Carina briefing Beckman with the professionalism Beckman seemed to appreciate. They were impressed Carina was able to deliver the report and still managed to leave out the embarrassing and irrelevant parts of the story. She had their backs and was behaving by the book. Casey gave a slight smile.

Carina finished her report. "And that takes us to the present. We were about to extract whatever forensics possible from the packages, mobile phone, and tracker watch recovered from the abduction site."

Beckman looked very tired, but she was sympathetic of the feelings of Walker and Casey. After all, she had fond feelings for Chuck as well. "Agent Miller, thank you for the update. Well done. Proceed with the forensics and get me everyone's reports. On my end, I will have my team go back through the chatter logs of the last few weeks."

Beckman then addressed Sarah and Casey, "Agent Walk… Sarah, John, as of now, your team is on hiatus. No new missions or work. Just find Chuck. You have priority access to any resources you need. Since Carina is DEA that will give you _carte blanche_ for operating domestically without violating any governmental protocols or regulations."

"Thank you, General," Sarah responded.

The monitor went dark. Sarah turned to her friend with a smile of relief and gratitude.

"And thank you, Carina."

_**Late Afternoon - A Dark Room**_

"What have I done?" He struggled to free himself from the restraints, but he couldn't. He just heard the rattle of metal on metal. He felt the heat in his arms as something was injected. He was swallowed by the darkness.

As he slept, a man entered. He checked on the prone body and decided he was out. He signaled to another man who quickly entered. A light came on, revealing a single chair. The two men lifted Chuck and roughly deposited him in the chair.

"Easy, gentlemen. Don't hurt him." With a scowl, Hannah watched the two men. She approached the man in the chair with a slight trepidation. She played with the curls of his hair fondly. She dismissed the men with a wave and waited for them to leave.

"You really are a bastard. What did I ever do to you?" She moved in closely and studied his face. Then she put her forehead on his and her voice was a whisper.

"The lies, those miserable lies. And all over that woman! Well, I am going to hurt her. And then I am going to hurt her again. And it's all your fault!"


	4. Lockdown!

Posted: 1/3/11

Family Bartowski goes in to Lockdown.

A/N: Again, thanks to **P.J. Murphy** for his beta work. Why he does it, I don't know. Maybe pity.

* * *

_**Nov. 26, 2010 - Black Friday - Late Afternoon - Castle**_

"Everybody, give me your phones." Casey looked at each person in the room as he addressed the group. These were the people he had to protect and never before did he perform that duty with such personal resolve. "We have no way of knowing if any of them are compromised, so, I raided the Buy More stock for enough burner replacements to go around. Morgan, are you and Alex finished setting up the contacts lists?"

"Yeah, Case. Like you asked, the contacts are first initial only; A, C, D, E, J, M, S and 9."

"The 9 is Beckman's priority number. As in 911. Please remember that before you use it," Casey added.

Sarah asked the obvious. "What if Chuck calls?

"I have all calls that would have gone to your old phones re-routed to Mortensen's station. He'll handle all tracking and re-routing of calls."

As if on cue, a knock was heard on the glass doors to the conference room. Mortensen tapped the glass with a hand-held radio and signaled to Casey to come over.

Casey released the lock and went to Mortensen. "Yeah?"

"Sir, I have been monitoring the local police call radio. They found Agent Roberts two hours ago, dead in a coffee shop. I am trying to tap into their systems to get more information right now."

"Very well. Keep me up to date." Casey returned to the conference room and locked the door behind him.

"What happens if the hospital calls?" Devon asked.

"Devon, the calls will be answered and you will be informed." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Folks, this is not being done as punishment; it's to protect us. All of us. We're in Castle. And it's exactly that, a fortress. As a precaution, we are raising the drawbridge. But no one is in the dungeon."

Carina took a look at Casey. He was not one to give long explanations, so she continued the debriefing. "So, let's start figuring out who you need protection from. I'll start with the wrapping paper and see if there any fingerprints."

"Sarah, did you come across the herder Chuck borrowed?" Everybody turned to Morgan, but Sarah shook her head no in response. "I lent it to him from the pool last night as the CIA's pimped version is still in the 'shop'. I'd like to see what, if anything, got left behind." Morgan paused for a moment. "And I think I should get it back into the lot before too many people ask questions."

Casey's eyes brightened. "Good thinking, Grimes. We can back-track his movements and see if someone has a video feed." He made a mental note of the stores represented in Chuck's gifts.

Eager to do something, he got up to join Casey. "What are we waiting for, then?"

He leaned over to Alex and gave her a kiss. "Watch my buddy's girl, huh?" he whispered in Alex's ear while motioning with his head to Sarah.

She returned the kiss. "And keep an eye on my Dad." He smiled and turned his back, which allowed Alex to covertly signal her father. "Keep an eye on him."

_**The Room**_

Chuck slowly awoke as the glare from the bright halogen light above his head caused him to blink. He tried to discern shapes in the shadows but saw nothing beyond the circle of light around the chair. He heard the whir of gears as a screen lowered into his view. A very familiar piece of music started to play, but it was distorted and echoed. What appeared to be very grainy surveillance videos played on the screen. He saw himself, his family, and his friends.

_Sarah. There she is. His Sarah, his Kid_. He smiled.

There were pictures of babies and children he did not recognize. Funerals, weddings, deaths, babies. The pictures repeated. He had seen these pictures before. Where? He felt the heat in his arm as more drugs were pushed.

_NO!_ The darkness was coming again. _Sarah!_

_**Casey's Vic**_

Casey brought up the GPS display and told Morgan to find Zale's.

"He went to Zale's?"

"Yeah, but not a word of it to Walker."

Morgan did a search on the GPS. "There we go, about a mile down the road. Are we going to ask for the video or take it?"

Casey's voice turned grim. "Morgan, we need to take the video surveillance. Otherwise it could be 'a tell' for whomever might be watching. But first, we need to know where to take them from. That's why we're looking for the Herder first. That will tell us where Chuck was grabbed. Then, after casing the place, we'll come back after dark. That is, if you are up to it."

Morgan looked determined. "If it gets us closer to finding Chuck, I'll…," he choked a bit. "I'd even take a red-test."

Casey scowled. "Do you even know what that means? This isn't one of your stupid video games." Grunt. _I need to have a little chat with Chuck when he gets back about what the word 'secret' in' top secret' means._

Morgan held up his right hand in the shape of a gun, aimed out the front window, and pretended to fire by snapping his thumb down. "I have never wanted to kill anyone before. But when it comes to my family and with what I've seen in the past year, I would. And no disrespect Case, but not even you could stop me."

"It will change you in ways you can't imagine."

"True, I can't imagine that. But if it came down to it, I would do it and worry about my feelings later.

Casey pulled up to a red light and put the car in park. "If you draw your weapon, it must be with the expectation that you are going to use it." He looked right into Morgan's eyes. "When the time comes, you can't hesitate; it could mean the difference between you and them. And I don't want to have that conversation with Alex."

Morgan looked down as the light turned green and Casey started again. He knew Casey didn't want to have that conversation with Alex, and he knew he didn't want to do anything to make Casey have that conversation with Alex. But the past year made him realize how much he had on the line these days. In a way, he felt a bit silly that the biggest problem he had before this was trying to get Devon back his $2500 for the DeLorean.

"You have reached your destination," chirped the GPS unit a few moments later.

"Thank God they didn't use Beckman's voice," Morgan softly quipped. Casey gave a slight smile. There were a lot of things he wanted to see change on the bearded troll, but his sense of humor wasn't one of them. From a psychological standpoint, it was a helpful thing to have in this business.

Casey turned into the parking lot in front of Zale's. He began a methodical, slow drive, looking for the errant Herder. With no luck, they headed to their next stop.

Morgan punched in Nordstrom's and found three. "The first one is just down the road."

"Can't believe I forgot about this," Casey chided himself as he pointed to the address on the screen. "This has to be the one; we passed it earlier on the way to where we tracked Chuck's watch."

They pulled into the lot and saw thousands of cars. He exhaled in frustration. "This is going to take a while."

Morgan glued his eyes to the right side window as Casey did the same on the left. They rolled down aisle after aisle for forty tedious minutes.

"There we go!" Morgan exclaimed as he pointed at the Nerd Herder.

Casey pulled over, and they both got out. Morgan lay down on his stomach and checked under the car, behind the tires, and inside the wheel wells. Casey looked inside the vehicle.

"No key," he reported.

"Nothing down here," Morgan yelled up to Casey. He got up, dusted himself off, and produced a key from his pocket. "I took the spare, just in case." He was about to insert the key when he looked at Casey. "You don't think there are nasty surprises inside?"

"Good thinking, but I doubt it. I'd play it strictly as a snatch and grab." He gave a slight smile. "I have to say, you are making good progress. You still screw around. A lot. But you have been paying attention."

Morgan beamed. "Actually, Alex said something about that earlier, when she broke out the firearms. She said we did everything like you taught us. She has your stuff, big guy."

Morgan turned back towards the car, started to put the key in the lock, and hesitated. "In case there is something, back away."

Casey took a few steps back towards the Vic.

"Casey?"

He rolled his eyes. "Kill them all?"

"And let God sort them out?" He smiled briefly. His voice was a whisper. "Tell…Alex…I…" he closed his eyes and turned the key. "Whew!"

Morgan slid behind the wheel. He started to put the key in the ignition when a very terrifying thought entered his mind. "Casey?"

"Now what?" Casey asked in annoyance as he approached Morgan.

"These cars have an alarm that self-arms after ten minutes."

"And?"

"Uh, I never disarmed it."

"DON'T MOVE!" Casey stuck his head under Morgan's legs and rooted around under the seat. "Stay put." He backed out and headed to the Vic, popping the trunk. Casey returned with some tools and poked his head back down under the seat. When he came back up, he was holding a pack of C-4 and electronics.

"I bet this thing was hooked up to the car alarm. If you had disarmed it, it probably would have triggered this."

Morgan shook his head and tried to calm himself. "Whoah! Give me a few…seconds…for my heart to slow down."

"As long as you need. But make it quick." He put a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "These guys are playing for keeps."

"Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Casey nodded. "Like I said, I don't want to have that conversation with Alex." Casey glanced over the rest of the car. "Hold on; I want to check under the hood. Better paranoid than dead."

He reached in and released the latch. "I'll be right back. Hold this," he replied as he handed the bomb to Morgan with a smirk.

Morgan's heart wasn't slowing down. Actually, it was going in the opposite direction. "Are you crazy?"

"Relax, it's not armed." Casey walked to the front of the Herder and lifted the hood. He searched carefully throughout the engine and then slammed the hood back down.

"All clear, Grimes. Start her up."

Morgan turned the key. The car started. No explosions. He exhaled sharply. "Oh boy! I'll meet you back at Castle."

He backed up the Herder and headed out. Casey carried the bomb back to the Vic and put a hand on the roof to steady himself. "Damn. I'm getting to old for this." He took in a deep breath. "No I ain't." He shook his head and got behind the wheel, gently putting the bomb on the seat next to him, and took off after Morgan.

_**Castle**_

"Hey Walker, who's Hannah?" Carina yelled out.

Sarah turned to Carina and her mouth dropped open. It took her a second to recover. "Hannah?"

"Yeah, Hannah. Apart from Chuck's prints, the only prints I could identify are hers. All the database says is 'acquaintance'."

She sighed heavily and shook her head. "About a year ago, Chuck was dating her. He decided to break it off because of all the lies he had to tell her in order to protect our covers. She had arranged for him to meet her parents and things didn't go well. It was a very bad time. For both of us."

"Wait a second. I thought you two were… sheesh… in a relationship…or some weird thing. All I remember was you two were miserable. You need to tell me what the heck is/was going on between you two."

"It's complicated, Carina. It WAS complicated." She hung her head. "It was all so stupid. We hurt each badly, but I'll give you all the details some other time. OK? Please?"

"Seriously Walker, you always have to do things the hard way. OK, another time."

"Thank you. But I will tell you this much: it got very ugly and very public. She left town. The other herders were not happy with Chuck. He tried to find her. We offered to help him, but he wanted the spy world to stay out of his personal life. He felt he handled it wrong, and then I made matters worse with Shaw. Then he had issues with his Intersect. He couldn't flash."

"Shaw? Seriously? OK. Again, another time. But you will tell me the story. That guy had a nasty creepiness to him. I know you always have a thing for your coworkers, but even that's pushing it."

Sarah exhaled and shut her eyes for a moment to deal with the stress of Chuck's disappearance. Carina's barbs about her love life were not helping. "Back to the fingerprints… please."

"Yeah, they're all over the wrapping paper, but not on any of the gifts. I'd say she had something to do with all this. By the way, he got something really nice for Casey."

Mortensen was knocking at the door again. Carina unlocked the door. "The hell with it, come in. We can't hide in a cave. What's up?"

"The local ME has established Roberts was poisoned. They are still running tests to determine what agent was used."

They heard the airlock cycling at the top of the stairs. Sarah stood, and all three of them put their hands on their sidearms. They relaxed slightly when they saw who it was.

"They're baaaaaackk," Carina said with a smirk. "Well, Johnny, did you find the Herder?"

"Yeah, at Nordstrom's. Just around the corner from where we found his stuff. I suspect someone has been trailing Chuck for a while." He handed the C-4 to Carina.

She shook her head as she looked at the plastic explosives. "Johnny, don't you know anything? You buy a girl jewelry, not explosives."

"You're a riot, Carina. We found that in the Herder."

"Shhhh!" Morgan's eyes widened as he darted his head around. "Can we please not tell Alex about this? Wait, where is Alex?"

Casey looked at him oddly. "Grimes, you're more afraid of my daughter than you are of C-4? I'm impressed. And quite relieved, too."

"She's minding the agents in quarantine," Carina told Morgan before turning to Casey. "Agent Mortensen has been monitoring local law enforcement's progress with Roberts. He was poisoned."

_Bastard got off easy_, Casey thought while grunting in acknowledgement and headed towards a terminal. After a few moments he slammed the mouse on the desk. "Chuck could do this in a second," he growled.

Carina walked over. "What are you looking for?"

"Anything in the logs that might tell us what that traitor Roberts was doing this morning."

Mortensen walked up to him. "Agent Casey? Sir?"

"Yeah?" Casey replied with his eyes still glued to the monitor.

"He did only one thing. He looked up the number for Agent Carmichael's CIA issued phone."

"That bitch." Sarah shook her head. "I am going to kill her. Very slowly."

"Her? Her who?" Casey asked in confusion.

"Hannah!"

"Say what?"

Carina interceded. "Johnny, we found her fingerprints all over the wrapping paper."

"Walker, stay focused," Casey told her in his most unyielding voice. "We get Chuck back first. After that, you can draw and quarter her for all I care."

Carina started gathering the gifts and wrapping paper. "We've done everything we can with Chuck's stuff for now. I am going to bag it all and lock it up."

He moved towards the large table and stood next to Carina to check out what she had. Carina turned to him and kept her voice to a whisper.

"Let me handle Hannah. You take care of the family. Sarah's a loose cannon right now."

"Agreed," Casey said with a nod before addressing everybody. "Guys, can we talk a minute?" He motioned for Sarah and Morgan to join Carina and him at the table. He waited as each took a seat.

Casey turned to Carina. "I hate to ask this of you, but we need someone on the outside that can move freely and make on-site evaluations of our intel."

"Sure. When do you want me to head out?"

"Tomorrow morning." Casey then addressed the others, "I'd feel a lot better if we all stayed here tonight. At least don't stray too far from Castle unescorted." Nobody protested the idea, not even Sarah. "Morgan, you and I have a date with Nordstrom's. We might get lucky and get something useful out of their surveillance videos."

_**Nov 28, 2010 - Building Under Renovation**_

_Perfect_.

She raised the field glasses to her eyes and watched the Bitch get into her Porsche. "Every move you make, I'll be watching you." She had to smile a bit; there were still so many people who thought that was a love song.

"Hannah, are you going to stand there all day and watch these people?"

She lowered the glasses and looked at the man behind her. She then reached for her cigar, which was still burning and resting on the windowsill. She brought it to her mouth, ran her tongue over the tip, and drew in a little smoke. She took her time blowing the heavy smoke into the man's face. "I'm waiting. She has to pay. I'm going to hurt her and then I am going to hurt her again. I promised."

The heat was unbearable as the building was undergoing renovations and had no air conditioning. Somehow he still felt cold. _This girl is insane and I am taking orders from her?_

"What did she do to you?"

Her body stiffened as she remembered that time with something resembling abhorrence. "She lied to him and she hurt him badly. I saw what she did; she just couldn't stand seeing him with someone else. She twisted his head around so hard, he couldn't see straight."

Her face contorted with hatred. "I tried, but she had to keep coming back. Then he lied to me, all because of her."

"Yeah, yeah, he done you wrong," the man replied without bothering to be sympathetic. "But let's get on with it."

She dropped the cigar to the floor and mashed it out with her heel. "The rifle is over there. You know her route. Just after she gets on the freeway, she'll speed up. That's when you will shoot out the tire."

"Right, the tire."

"You make sure it's the rear tire. She'll need the front end to steer. I want her disabled. You do NOT kill her." _That pleasure will be mine, _she thought. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good. The balance will be wired to your account upon completion."

"It'll be taken care of tomorrow morning. Just as you instructed."

She waved him away. He started to walk towards the rifle and the door, but he eyed her warily as he did.

_What a shame. Really gorgeous, but completely off her rocker._ He turned and picked up the rifle; a 50 BMG Colt AR15. He examined it, satisfied himself that it was functional and returned it to its case. He snapped the clasps shut and picked up the case. He took a final look at Hannah, grabbed the ammo boxes and walked out.

Hannah turned back to the window, and put the field glasses back to her face. There was one loose end in all of this. The majority of the team was wannabe agents. She could outsmart any of them without breaking a sweat. But not him.

"That bastard will ruin everything if he puts this together," she muttered through clenched teeth. She needed a plan to deal with Casey.

_**The Room**_

The room was pitch black, and all Chuck could hear was his own breathing. He was held by so many restraints, he couldn't move.

"My ass is killing me, people. Could someone let me go for a walk?"

He listened for a response but none came. "We really don't have to do all this torture stuff. I'm not very good at torture, so why don't you just ask and I will tell you everything I know."

A garbled piece of music was the only response. It was very familiar, but he couldn't place it.

He heard the whir of gears as a screen lowered into his view. "How about some popcorn? No salt, please."

Still no response.

The show began. He knew he had seen these pictures before. But where?

The show ended. The screen disappeared upwards. Then the lights went out.

"Oh, come on. Is this supposed to scare me?"

There was still no response.

_**Nov 29, 2010 – Morning - Outdoors, by the Freeway**_

The prone gunman was well concealed, lying in the tall grass on a rise overlooking the freeway. His phone rang in his ear. "Yes. I'm ready." He hung up. He watched as she reached the entrance ramp, merged left, and headed up the freeway. _A few more seconds_. He took his time, heard her upshift, followed her in the rifle sight, and lined up his shot with the rear wheel. He squeezed the trigger right before her next upshift.

_Oh shit! A blowout._ Sarah stayed calm as the car scraped on the tire's rim, dragging the rear slightly to the right. She kept her foot steady on the gas, gradually letting up to slow the car, and holding the front end straight. The man in the car to her right saw the blowout and panicked. He tried swerving a bit to the right to avoid her but bounced off his neighbor and banged back into her Porsche. The Porsche hit the banked wall too hard and rolled up onto it, eventually hitting the top and flipping over. The car behind her was going too fast and slammed into her rear, sending the Porsche spinning on its roof.

The gunman watched in horror as his fee disappeared. He was supposed to disable the car only. Soon there would be police and emergency workers covering the scene. Hannah's men would never get there in time. He rolled on his back and cursed his bad luck. That psycho bitch would kill him. He looked for the shell casing but there was no time. He slid back down the other side of the rise towards his car on the access road. He threw the gun into the back seat in disgust and sped off.

_**Castle**_

Mortensen continued monitoring the police channels as well as any intel chatter. "Sir, I think you'll want to take a look at this."

Casey walked over to the man's station and looked over his shoulder at the information. "Overturned car on freeway. EMT Unit 12 en route. That's it?"

"No, sir. The police are reporting it as a dark, late model Porsche with a single female occupant. There were three other cars involved with no fatalities."

Saying "S" into his disposable mobile, he tried to call Sarah but got no answer. "D" was next. "Devon, yeah. We have a report of an accident on the freeway by the house. It sounds like it might be Sarah." He listened for a moment. "Relax, I get no answer on her phone, but the police reported only mild injuries. Thanks." He was about to hang up, but he had one last order. "Devon. Take your sidearm."

He ended the call and turned back to Mortensen. "Get a cleaner crew out there. I want that Porsche in our possession right now. Have them make a sweep of every pebble on that road if they have to, but I want to know what's going on. I'm heading out."

"On it, sir."

Casey took the stairs out of Castle two at a time. The airlock opened as he got to the top. "Thanks, Mortensen!"

_**Buy More**_

Casey spotted Jeffster by the Nerd Herd counter and changed direction. Morgan was talking with an irate customer, presumably made upset by some other Buy Moron. Casey gave him a high sign to follow.

Morgan held up a finger to request a moment. _Another hefty customer giveaway in the name of his cover,_ he seethed inside_. Good thing this branch doesn't need to turn a profit. _He finished with the customer and headed over to Casey.

"What's up, Case?" he asked as they continued walking towards the front door.

"There's been an accident on the freeway, and it sounds like it's Walker. She doesn't answer her phone, so I am going to check it out. Devon is already on the way."

Morgan shook his head and felt a chill go through him. "Should I man Castle or come with?"

"Come with; Mortensen has Castle. I want you with me. Remember, no one goes out alone. That includes me."

Morgan hesitated. "I checked my sidearm back in with Alex."

Casey gave a scowl when he heard that information. "The team is on high alert for the duration, Grimes."

"Ah, yeah. There's that, but I couldn't pack heat around the children," he replied as he pointed to Jeffster.

"Some days this place really sucks the life out of you," Casey said in frustration. Morgan did have a point about those two. "We'll break something out in the Vic."

"Morgan, where are you off to now?" Big Mike intercepted them by the entrance. "You're the manager now; you can't just sneak off all the time."

Casey gave a grunt. For some reason, fishing suddenly came to Morgan's mind.

"I thought I'd go fishing with John," Morgan told Big Mike with a smile. "So, I'll have to delegate running the store to your capable hands."

Big Mike was stunned, but then he nodded in agreement. "It's not like I haven't done that myself, my boy."

Morgan looked at Casey as Big Mike departed. _Did I just understand that grunt?_ They both shook their heads and breathed a sigh of relief as they headed out to the parking lot and Casey's Vic.

"Between the Buy More and Spy International, I have no life to get sucked. I haven't spoken to Alex since yesterday," Morgan said in a funk.

"She understands, Grimes. We all feel the pressure. Sarah made her promise to go back to school, so she'll be a little busy herself." He opened the trunk. Morgan's eyes threatened to pop out of his head when he saw the contents.

"Good Lord, John! You could arm a third world country with this stuff."

"Truthfully, I have. But the details are 'need to know'."

"No doubt. What was…"

"And you don't need to know," Casey snapped before Morgan could get going.

_**The Room**_

Chuck woke up but kept his eyes closed. _OK, pretend to be asleep. What happened? Where was I before I got here? I defeated the protocols and snuck out._

_Wait, what protocols? Why did I do that? Then what did I do? I can't remember. Come on, Chuck. What's the last thing you remember? Think, damnit! Sarah. Yes, Sarah! I want to be with her._

"Sarah!"

_Oh no. They heard. The heat in my arms. I can't move them…_

Darkness fell over the room. _No, no darkness._

A hissing sound filled the room. _Oh crap, what is that? _No light. "Who's there?" There was no response. "Answer me, you motherf…" _No, that isn't going to help._

_What the hell? Movie time! Whoa! My fingers! They are way too long. Hehehehe. Look at that; I can touch the screen._

_Oh. More heat. Here we go again. Fight it. Fight…_

_Ah, I'm back again. Don't talk. They won't find me. Sarah will. What? Where am I? I snuck out. Yes, that's it. They caught me. And they dragged me into the bunker. What bunker? Who did? Why?_

_The hiss started again. Hey, that's the screen. Who is that old man? The old woman looks like… I know her… It looks like…Sarah! Yes, that's Sarah. She looks good. Oh and that's me. Awww… yeah that wouldn't be so bad._


	5. Professor Casey

Posted: 1/24/11

Many thanks to **P.J. Murphy** for his beta work

I can't believe it's been three weeks since my last chapter. Real life work has been rough, but things have settled down a bit and I had some time for writing.

Let me know how you feel! We live for reviews, right? Love it or hate it so some parts thereof, let me know.

* * *

_**Nov. 30, 2010 - Late Afternoon - **__**Mercy General**_

The emergency room doors slid open as the doctor and an orderly approached. The siren in the distance grew louder, and they increased their pace towards the bay. They took positions on each side of the yellow outline painted on the concrete in anticipation of the ambulance's arrival.

The orderly noticed the two men standing on the other side of the bay. One looked military, the other a shorter, nerdy character. "Gentlemen, you can't stay here if you aren't hospital staff. I must ask that you clear the area."

"Colonel John Casey," the taller one informed him as he flashed his credentials. "The woman in that ambulance should be one of my people."

"That may well be, but again I must ask that you clear the area."

Casey gave one of his patented growls. Morgan sidled his way in front of Casey and tried to push him back. "John, please, let them handle this. Devon is with her and will make sure they do everything they can."

"This is Sarah," Casey grunted in protest.

The doctor, hearing Devon's name, turned back to Morgan. "Dr. Devon Woodcomb?"

Morgan smiled. "Why yes, we're friends of the family, as is the woman being brought in." He emphasized every word by pointing in the air at each inflection.

"Very well, but please stand behind that yellow line. It'll make the crew's job a lot easier."

Morgan turned back to Casey with a triumphant grin. "See that John? Sometimes you just need to be nice. It can go a long way." Casey grunted in acceptance.

Morgan stepped back behind the line and tugged at Casey's shirt. Casey turned to him with a snarl on his face. Morgan pointed to the ground, showing that he's behind the line. Casey didn't move.

Morgan glanced at the doctor with a shrug. "Afghanistan." _Why is he being so stubborn?_

The sirens were closer now. The sound stopped abruptly, replaced by the rush of rubber on the pavement.

Casey knew she was OK_. Still… _He sucked in a breath and waited.

The blue lights flickered back and forth as the ambulance came around the corner and pulled up by the curb, the braking tires spraying up the crushed gravel underneath. As the ambulance moved backwards into the bay it beeped its warning. There was just a moment of silence before the doctor and the orderly each yanked a door open. Casey moved back to avoid being bumped.

Devon jumped down and turned to grab his end of the stretcher.

A familiar voice came from within the vehicle. "Damnit, Devon! I'm fine. Let me out of here!"

Casey heard her voice and finally exhaled as the stretcher was pulled out of the ambulance. Sarah turned her head, noticed her teammates, and smiled.

"Help! Guys, I'm being kidnapped!" She immediately frowned and closed her eyes.

Casey stepped forward, "OK, Walker. Let them do their jobs."

Morgan shook his head and eyed Casey. _Didn't someone else just say the same thing to him? It sounds so familiar._

Devon reached under the stretcher to lock it in the upright position and then stepped towards Morgan and Casey. He corralled them a few steps out of the way as the doctor and orderly wheeled Sarah through the ER doors. Devon tugged at their shirts to indicate that they should follow him.

As they proceeded into the ER, Devon gave them an update. "I called Beckman. She is sending a security detail for Sarah's protection. They should be here in about twenty minutes. In the meantime, it's just the three of us."

Once past the doors, Casey stopped Morgan and pointed to the side where he wanted Morgan to stand guard. He pointed to his eyes and then out the door. Morgan nodded in concurrence. It was quiet in the ER, easing their makeshift security duties.

Devon smiled as he watched Morgan take his post. "Awesome, John. He's getting a little better every day."

"Looks like he just needed to focus. I think Alex could've done far worse." Casey scanned the ER. "Devon, keep an eye on Walker. Watch what they do. But keep an eye out for Grimes and myself. We really need to have each other's backs right now."

Casey took point at the far end of the ER, keeping his partners in his direct line of sight. He could see Devon looking inside the room.

Devon took a quick look in Morgan's direction, then Casey's. He then looked in on Sarah. "Yes, I know you're fine. They're going to look you over, then send you up for an MRI and a CT scan. Quiet already." He snuck another look at Morgan.

Casey smirked as he watched Devon deal with Walker's stubbornness and felt a bit proud of Devon. The man could still keep an eye out for his team. The irony wasn't lost on Casey how Devon wanted nothing to do with the spy world but kept coming back for more 'secret sessions'. Devon was resigned to Chuck being in the spy business and the inherent dangers the job brought with it. He wanted to make sure that Ellie and the baby were safe. Therefore, no guns were ever permitted in his house.

He froze as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he saw a dark suit leave the ER. _Damnit, stop daydreaming!_

One of the doctors came out. "OK. We're done here. Get her up to the lab."

Two orderlies wheeled Sarah's gurney out of the ER and headed down the hallway towards an elevator bank. Devon stuck to her side.

"Grimes!" Casey had moved up a foot behind Morgan.

"Yeah?" Morgan didn't turn or jump. He'd been watching his team through the reflection in the window.

"Go with Devon and Sarah. Beckman's men should be here soon. I'll catch up."

Morgan nodded and turned to leave when Casey stopped him. "Keep your eyes open," Casey told him in a hushed voice. "Might be overreacting, but I could have sworn someone was watching us."

Morgan placed a hand on Casey's shoulder. "Got it."

He double-timed it towards Sarah and Devon. As he caught up to Sarah, he took her hand. "How's my bud's girl?"

She smiled. "I'm fine, but these guys won't let it go."

He leaned down and whispered, "Hey, after Devon saw that wreck, he didn't want to take any chances. Especially after what happened in Morocco."

She smiled at him. _He's actually being reassuring._

_Whoah. Even banged up, she manages to have that look. _He looked away and bit his lip. _Where the hell are you, Chuck?_

_**Outside the MRI Lab**_

Devon and Morgan paced the hallway like expectant fathers. They shared the same thought. W_here the hell is Casey?_

Devon blinked first and called him. "Sarah is in the lab and we started to worry about you."

"Sorry, just taking care of business with the security detail," he replied. "I'm on my way up."

Another 15 minutes went by before Casey finally showed up. But to his credit, he brought the closest thing he had to actually issuing an apology: hot coffee. "How's she doing?"

"Almost done," Devon answered as he took one of the coffees. "Then they'll take her to get a CT scan. That'll take another hour."

"Good." He turned to Morgan, "Hit the head."

"It's just nerves."

"Hey, dope! You take the break when you get the chance. You never know when it might get busy."

Morgan gave him an 'OK' grunt and headed down the hall looking for the men's room.

"Around the corner!" Devon directed Morgan and smiled. Looking over at Casey, "Teaching him your Gruntian language? Might be handy for him to know if he ever runs into Chewbacca."

Casey gave a grunt, which translated would have meant the coffee was getting cold.

"I almost understood that," Devon beamed. They both laughed.

"How's Ellie doing?" Casey asked.

"All things considered, pretty well. I have her on a complete regimen of natural calming herbs. You should try some."

Casey rolled his eyes at Devon and shuddered. "I did. Couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for days."

Devon remembered something from before. His voice was subdued. "John, remind me to thank Beckman."

"For?"

"She was absolutely awesome. They didn't take kindly to us going AWOL over Thanksgiving weekend. She called Westside and smoothed things over with the administration for Ellie and me. The hospital gave us a mini-sabbatical until the baby is born. With the pregnancy and Chuck being gone, we were tight on the ropes, bro!"

Casey grunted where most human beings would simply nod. "Occasionally, Beckman does the right thing." He spotted Morgan coming around the corner. "Woodcomb, your turn."

Devon gave Morgan a broad smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder as they passed each other.

Morgan came up to Casey. "Case, have you heard from Carina?"

He turned towards Morgan with a bit of a snarl. They still haven't had that talk since Thanksgiving. "Grimes, you do remember that I'm your girlfriend's fath…"

Morgan eyes widened at Casey's response, and Casey realized he made a bad assumption of Morgan's intent. His posture relaxed. "Sorry, yes. She's still checking each piece of intel we have and checks in with Mortensen. So far, nothing." He sighed. "I don't trust anyone outside of Team Bartowski, so Carina is alone. But at least whoever is involved hasn't made a connection between her and us." _I hope._

"When Sarah is released, why don't you catch up to Carina?"

Casey shook his head. "Nah, I don't want to leave the family unprotected."

"Bullcrap, man! They've got Casa B locked down. And it's quiet right now." Morgan inflected his voice to have a more guttural sound like Casey's. 'You take the break when you get the chance'."

"Smartass," Casey growled. "But, point taken."

"Speaking of chances, it's your turn," Morgan said as he pointed towards the returning Devon.

"Yup." Casey left and took his turn.

Morgan pulled out his phone and called Alex. It barely had a chance to ring when she answered.

"Hi, hon!"

"Hi back! I miss you, Alex. Um…" He wasn't sure what to tell her without undue alarm. "Alex, I'm with Devon and your father at Mercy General."

He took a quick breath and looked at Devon. Devon gave him a nod. _S__he'll be fine_, he silently mouthed to Morgan.

"Morgan, are you OK? Is it my father or Devon?"

"No, no. _We're_ all fine. It's Sarah. She's good, but she was in a car accident."

"What? What happened?"

"Your father isn't sure yet, but, we'll figure it out once Sarah is released. Another hour or so." He closed his eyes and tried to collect his thoughts. _What the hell is going on?_

"Morgan, are you still there?"

"Uh, yeah… Sorry. Can we hang out a little tonight?"

"I have a lot of homework. But, you can keep me warm," she replied with a bit of lilt in her voice.

Morgan blushed enough for it to be seen through his beard. "Umm… whew! Sizzling shrimp for dinner?"

"Those are starting to grow on me."

Devon elbowed Morgan to warn him Casey was coming.

"I gotta go, Alex. Talk to you later."

"Bye hon!"

He quickly pocketed his phone, looked at Devon, and rolled his eyes. _Yeah yeah, focus, _he thought.

"Grimes, you should have told her I said hi," Casey said with a smirk.

Morgan did a double-take. "How do you do that?"

Devon shook his head and smiled. "Bro, if your grin was any bigger, the top of your head would roll off!"

_**The Room**_

_Everything hurts. I just wish they would end this already and let me go. Huh? That wasn't real. What is real? _

_I'm Charles Bartowski. I'm married to Sarah Walker. No. That hasn't happened yet. Yet? I love Sarah Walker. I work at the Buy More. I'm a spy? I'm a spy. YES! I'm a spy! That's it. I went… _

_Where did I go? I can't remember anything. Just Sarah. I want to be with her. _

_Oh, God, what have I done! _

_Damn! I can't get out of this chair._ _(grunt)_

_No! They heard me. Here we go, I can feel that heat again._

_CASEY! I remember him too, now. Heh, big guy, a good friend. He's dead now. No. Remember, rememb…_

_**One Hour Later**__** - Mercy General - **__**CT Scan lab**_

Devon emerged from the CT scanning room to find Casey and Morgan camped out on a couch. "Sarah has been cleared to leave. Thank God nothing showed up on any of the tests. A few scratches on her forehead were the worst of it." He paused and looked at his friends. "I want her to sleep; that kind of wreck really plays with your head."

Casey stood at seeing Sarah causing a commotion down the hall. "Good! Then home it is and we pour her into bed. Then you guys take care of your ladies and I'll have a chat with mine."

_Carina?_ _Slow down, Johnny boy, _he thought._ You know you can't trust the woman. But still, things have been good._

"Enough already! Let me up!" Sarah was yelling at a rather burly orderly who had a hand clamped on her shoulder, keeping her in place on the wheelchair. She gave serious thought to taking him on, despite giving 200 pounds and half a foot of height to him.

"Hospital regs, Sarah," Devon reassured her. "It's just until we get outside."

"I'll get the Vic and meet you guys out front." Casey turned to leave and paused. "Don't hurt him, Walker. I'll make you fill out the paperwork."

Sarah growled at him as Casey tried to stifle a laugh…and failed.

_**Office Building – Unknown Location**_

He ignored the first knock at the door, hoping they would go away. But someone was persistent, and he wasn't used to that. He scared people, and he used that to his advantage.

The knock grew louder and could not be ignored. "Come."

The agent opened the door slowly, sticking in just his head. "Sir?"

"Yes?" he replied in exasperation. The agent hesitated. _I don't mind a little scared, but this is sad for an agent_.

The agent came all the way into the office. "She's gone off-script."

He rubbed his head. It needed a shave. He wasn't going bald, but he found it increased his intimidation factor, so he kept it that way since he was wounded in Iraq. Worked for G. Gordon Liddy, right?

"How bad?"

"A four-car pileup on the freeway. Local authorities are already onsite."

_That crazy bitch._ "One of the principles?"

"Yes sir. From the reports, it sounds like Special Agent Walker got the worst of it and is already being taken to a local ER."

His eyes widened. "Not good. Get Hoover in here, NOW! Dismissed!"

The agent turned and left in a hurry.

Hoover wasn't his real name. It was his function. He cleaned up other people's messes. Usually without creating bigger problems. But, he owed him.

_Wait, who owed whom?_ He allowed himself a small smile.

Hoover didn't knock. He didn't fear D.D. Krang like most, but he did respect the man. He looked skittish and quite the nerd. No, strike that, _geek_. And more so than usual this morning. His glasses were cock-eyed and he had a damn comic book rolled up and stuffed in his back pocket. Had Krang not seen this guy in action, he'd give him a daily wedgie.

"Don't we pay you enough for a decent suit?"

"Sorry, these things never look good on me. I doubt, however, that you called me in here to give me fashion advice. What do you have for me?"

"You have that right…old friend." Krang raised his big beefy hands to rub his eyes, stood up, and came out from behind the desk. He looked more like a pro wrestler than a Deputy Director. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit that still looked tight when he moved. He offered his hand and the two shook. "Looney Tunes just went off-script. Do what you can to bring her in. Undamaged, please."

Hoover frowned. "That would bring certain difficulties with it."

"I know, but we may still need her." He sighed. "Undamaged was a request, but bring her in alive at the minimum. That's an order."

"Very well."

Krang waited for Hoover to leave before he returned to his work.

He moved back behind his desk and caught sight of the knife sitting on the edge of it. He picked it up and ran his finger along the edge. It was a gift from his now ex-wife. He still loved her but he loved something more, and it was jealous for his time.

His mind wandered, beginning to daydream about better times, when he heard another knock. He flicked the knife at the door. It made a sharp _thunk!_ sound as it penetrated the thick wooden door. Whoever it was did not knock again.

_I should be out in the field. This damn desk is dragging me down._

He actually missed The Ring. It made his life so much easier to mask his actions as being those of The Ring. Now he had to be careful of every move he made. He was no traitor; he just didn't like the way the new management did things. Clinton really screwed up the whole spy trade.

_**Chuck and Sarah's bedroom**_

Sarah walked into their bedroom and saw the mess from Thanksgiving morning; clothes, dishes, game controllers…o_h God, that game controller_. She wanted to smile, cry, scream, laugh, anything to just feel. But she felt empty. She started picking up the clothes to make laundry piles as a few tears streamed down her face.

She grabbed his t-shirt. She could smell her Chuck on it. She closed her eyes and just breathed in his scent. She stripped off everything she was wearing and put his t-shirt on, then looked down and grabbed his pants, his Buy More shirt and tie. Putting on his tie, she balled up the rest of his clothes and crawled into bed with them. She grabbed his pillow, pulled it tightly to her, closed her eyes, and breathed in her Chuck. Right now, he's back home in bed with her. The world started to feel right to her again, even if it truly wasn't. Slowly she relaxed and gave in to sleep.

_**Nov 30, 2010 - The Room**_

_Mary was such a cute baby! Come here, sweetie. All it takes is a smile. See, Kid? Yeah, I remember all of it now. _

_What can I say about Casey? GRUNT. He had so many ways to say that. He was more than a friend. He was family, and he will be missed. _

_Oh, nononono! Ellie! _Chuck began to cry_. Devon, I'm so sorry. Sarah, it's going to be so hard for Ellie's kids to grow up without their Mom._

_**San Francisco, California**_

Carina slowed her R8 Spyder as she took the tight and twisting roads up the hill towards Coit Tower. She almost wished she had borrowed something a little less 'throaty,' as the constant revving attracted a lot of attention, to say nothing of the pain she felt she was inflicting.

"Come on, baby, we're almost there." The GPS showed her as being on top of the house. She read the directions she had scribbled. _The last house on the right before Pioneer Park._ She pulled into the driveway and killed the engine.

This wasn't going to be easy. How do you talk to someone's parents about their kid being an insane, killer spy? You don't. Hannah was wanted for questioning in the embezzlement of funds while in the employ of the Buy More. At least, that's what her parents will think. Who comes up with these idiotic covers? She was a DEA agent working for the CIA impersonating the FBI. Just how many laws had she broken this time? She argued for simply going in there and telling them the truth. _Help us and the psycho bitch lives._

But she promised Sarah and Johnny to stick to the script. Hell, she liked Chuck, too, and Carina wanted to make sure she did everything she could to help bring him back home. She rang the doorbell and waited.

"Hello?" she heard a woman's voice over the crackling PA.

"FBI, ma'am. I'd like to speak to you about the whereabouts of your daughter, Hannah."

"We haven't seen or heard from her in months!" The speaker crackled. "Now go away and leave us alone."

A man in his fifties opened the door. "Forgive my wife. It's been a very difficult time for us." He stepped outside and motioned for Carina to follow. "You have to understand. Hannah is our only child. I don't think she is well."

"I can empathize, but we do need to speak with your daughter."

"That'll be a little difficult. We haven't heard from our daughter in about six months." The man appeared genuinely upset. "She seemed to have had a mental collapse a few weeks after we were supposed to meet her new boyfriend. She simply disappeared."

"I'm going to leave you my card. If you hear from Hannah, please give me a call."

The speaker crackled again. "Please go away!"

The man was momentarily startled by his wife's voice coming through the PA. He turned back to Carina with a morose expression. "I think you should leave. I'll call the moment I hear from her."

Carina nodded. "Thank you for your time." She got back into her car and drove down that torturous road.

"J," she said into her burner. The autodialer on the phone found the correct number.

"Casey. Carina, how's the road trip?"

"Still hitting dead ends."

"We could've used some good news."

"Sorry, Johnny. I just left Hannah's parents. The mother's a mess, but I spoke to the father. He said Hannah is not well and they haven't seen her in six months. I'm inclined to believe him."

_**Chuck and Sarah's Bedroom**_

She never cared for those silly video games the boys played. Probably because they never lived up to the real thing and broke all the protocols in such silly ways. But, it was a part of him and she wanted whatever little piece of him she could get. Besides, all she could manage was a three hour nap.

Sarah logged into his _Call of Duty_ account and fired up the game. She kept dying as she couldn't get the hang of the controller. "Stupid thing!" She sighed and started again, loosening her grip and looking at the screen. Her fingers began to find their way on the controller. "Ha! That's it." They didn't stand a chance. She ripped through every mission and obliterated everyone and everything. But she felt nothing, no thrill and no satisfaction.

"What's the point?" she said aloud to no one. She let the controller drop from her hand as she stood up and grabbed the bottle on the table next to her and crawled off to bed. There were no missions. There was no purpose. Just a prisoner in her own home.

She made a barely audible grunt. _I hate this hiding in the dark with nothing to shoot or hit._ She lifted the bottle and looked at it. _Just enough to get some sleep._ She put the bottle to her lips and tilted the bottom up, feeling the liquid burn on the way down. The family would be furious with her if she went out alone again. She took another sip and put the bottle down on the floor and leaned back. She slid under the covers and found her Chuck.

She smiled. _Family. I have a family. OK. Play it safe for them_. The alcohol was beginning to have its desired effect as she closed her eyes and let her mind drift.

###

"Daddy!" The little girl was crying. Sarah smiled as the girl's father scooped up his daughter. Mary was barely three years old and looked just like Chuck; tall and getting taller every day with long brown curls that never stayed in place. And those brown eyes. How many times had she looked into Mary's eyes and thought she saw Chuck looking back at her.

Within moments, Mary stopped crying and was laughing and squirming as if nothing had happened. He put her down and off she ran to some other adventure.

Chuck gave Sarah the same puzzled look he always gave her when she asked the obvious. "How do you do that?"

Then his eyes would light up and he'd break out that grin of his. "Do what?"

She laughed at him. "As if you didn't know!"

Chuck stepped closer to Sarah, giving her the Bartowski eyebrow dance. He put one arm around her waist and his free hand on her seven month belly. He had to lean in just a bit to give her a kiss.

"Very nice, big boy, but that's how I got this way!"

She heard a little girl giggle and Sarah turned to look in Mary's direction. She saw only shadows and frowned. She looked back at Chuck, but he had disappeared and her belly was now flat. She knew what was in her hand before she looked: her Smith & Wesson. Blindingly beautiful, but cold.

###

Sarah sat up in her bed, wanting to scream, but caught herself. _Just a nightmare,_ she reassured herself_._

_**The Room**_

_I can't let her go, not yet. I know. It's her time to go out and make a mark on the world. I'm just getting old. _

_Sarah, she's my little girl. Do you doubt me? Give her to me, Mary. I love the way she smells. See? Another generation of Bartowski women that can't resist. You were right about children, Sarah. We should have had another._

He frowned. _Something's not right. What's going on?_

_They killed Morgan. No, I won't rest until we catch them. I know we aren't spies anymore, but we have friends…_

_Little Sarah is getting married? Kid, have we gotten that old? I guess we have. It isn't so scary growing old with you._

_NO! NO! NO! You can't go first! _

_**Building Under Renovation**_

"You've been a very naughty little girl, Hannah."

She flinched and then waited to hear where the voice came from. Her head swiveled back and forth to hone in on it.

"Krang sent me to bring you in. You were told to leave the others alone."

Hannah wheeled in the right direction and spotted Hoover walking towards her. She raised her handgun.

"Whoah. Krang just wants to see you. Take it easy." Hoover had his own gun pointed at Hannah and was walking slowly towards her.

_Damn, he'll ruin everything! I'm so close._ She lowered her handgun. "That idiot was supposed to shoot out the tire only. It was meant to make them keep their heads down. It wasn't my fault."

Without taking his eyes off of her, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his neck. "No it wasn't, but it happened. And the DD wants to make sure you understand we can't have these side missions." He lowered his weapon.

She turned her head to look out the window and sighed. "Very well." She turned back, taking a step towards Hoover, raised her handgun, and squeezed the trigger.

Hoover staggered back with a confused look on his face. He looked down and saw the growing circle of blood on his chest. _The crazy bitch beat me? How?_ He fell to his knees. His arms betrayed him and hung limply at his side. There was a clatter as his gun fell from his hand onto the floor. He looked back up at Hannah and fell forward; the impact with the ground pushing a plume of dust upwards.

Hannah moved quickly towards Hoover, aimed at the back of the already dead man's head, and pulled the trigger twice more. The top half of his body jumped with each shot. She was gone before the smoke rising from the exit wounds had dissipated.

_**Dec 1, 2010 **__**- Noon**__** - CIA Headquarters, **__**Langley, Virginia**_

"Bart, I think we have another Nerd Herd item," Brenda spoke softly into her phone. Brenda Collier was responsible for tracking the intel chatter streams and getting the data in human readable format for the analysts.

He loved hearing her voice when she got conspiratorial. "Oh yeah? Over lunch?"

"No, I think you better come over."

_It must be good_, he thought. She never called him over for it; they usually traded over lunch. He smiled broadly as he walked over to the tech side of the building. At 53, he had been retired from field work for a few years. He buried too many of his peers, so he was happy just being an analyst with a nice, safe, back office cubicle. He started dating Brenda on and off a little more than three years ago. To her credit, Brenda hung in there, waiting for him, and he eventually saw the light. Their superiors weren't happy about it, but let it slide as long as they kept it out of the office.

"What'cha got?" he asked as he came around to her side of the desk. He put his hand on the top of her chair and bent down to get a better look at her screen.

She turned her monitor a bit for him to watch. The little hairs on her neck tingled whenever he was close to her. But this time, the intel was a little ugly, and she felt a bit cold today. The construction crew doing renovation work on a building across the street from the Burbank Buy More had found a dead body. The proximity to the CIA sub-station had triggered the alert.

"Any pictures?"

She found two, both taken by the local crime scene photographer. The bullet wounds in the back of the head were clearly visible. He looked at her face and realized she was quite unsettled by what she saw.

"Whoa! Brenda, that's actionable. Send it over to Janice." Burbank was in one of her districts.

"I hope they're told about this. _This_ time." She was a little ticked that some of the better intel they would dig up would get buried once it was sent up. Thinking about Shaw still made her skin crawl. She knew about his anniversary trips to Paris and tried to warn Janice and the General. But, they wouldn't listen.

"I'll follow up with Janice, and she'll slip it into their dailies, just in case."

Brenda exhaled slowly from a combination of frustration and concern for the people in Burbank. "I'm not that hungry any more. Can we go for a walk instead? We can catch up with Nerd Herd after work."

"Sure." He wanted to kiss her so badly, as much for himself as for her. "Let me go talk to Janice and I'll grab my coat."

Janice Timlin, at 39, was the third and youngest member of their Nerd Herd. Janice just finished her training as a field agent when her knees were shattered in a car accident. Fifteen years later, she still had a slight limp. She never returned to the field, but she was one of the best analysts on the floor. It was Janice who had nudged Bart into regarding Brenda as more than a fling.

"Mr. Michaels," she said with a wink. "Your nerd sent me some rather nasty pictures that might interest our friends in Burbank."

He smiled when she said 'nerd'. "Yeah, I know. I just wish we knew a little more."

Janice had started teasing him about _his_ nerd a few years back. At the time, the first Buy More intel started to float across her desk and she shared it with him. "Hey, look a little familiar?" she had asked him with a grin. It was sketchy stuff at first, but the reports got a little better and Janice continued to give him peeks. It was a common practice between district analysts, but one that was repeatedly discouraged. She had even named their little band in honor of their heroes in Burbank.

They had watched, through various intel channels, the ups and downs of the Chuck and Sarah story. It was like watching a soap opera, but it was a shame they hurt each other so much. They almost openly cheered when they heard Shaw had gotten his ass kicked.

"Janice, the pictures upset Brenda, so we're skipping lunch and taking a walk. But we'll catch up with you after work." He smiled and went to his cubicle to retrieve his coat.

_**Castle**_

Mortensen entered the garage and flipped on the lights. _She survived that?_ The wreck was ugly. There wasn't a piece of the Porsche's skin that wasn't marred to some extent.

He walked around the wreck, examining every dent and tear in the metal. He was amazed at how much damage the Porsche took and still Sarah got out with only a few scratches. He spotted a hole in the rim of the rear right wheel.

He took a few measurements and roughed out an estimate of a .50 caliber shot being used. Now it made sense, the tire had been obliterated leaving the driver with very little control. Sarah would have had to have stopped and would've been an easy target for a grab. Was it merely unfortunate events that prevented that? Or fortunate?

To Mortensen, the situation began to look more involved than they originally speculated. First Bartowski, then Grimes and Casey, and now Walker. They were trying to eradicate the team. _But who is 'they'?_

_**The Room**_

_Mary was such a cute baby! All it takes is a smile. See, Kid?_

_What can I say about Casey? He was more than a friend, he was family and he will be missed. _

_Devon, I'm so sorry. It's going to be so hard for the kids to grow up without their Mom._

_Mary's getting married? Already? I can't let her go, not yet. _

_You were right about children, Sarah. We should have had another._

_It isn't so scary doing it with you._

_Aw, Kid, you can't go first. _

"SARAH!"

_**Unknown Location - Three months ago**_

The screaming made him lurch out of his seat and hit the panic button. It sent instructions to the IV to pump a sedative cocktail into the subject. The screaming stopped in the other room and the bright halogens above the chair came on revealing a young, thin brunette. She sat there unconscious, breathing softly. Her head lolled with sweat rolling off and onto her lap. Her hair, sweat soaked, hung down in front of her face, clumped together in thick, dripping strands.

A blank movie screen disappeared upwards with the slight sound of grinding gears. A man in a white lab coat approached her from behind and moved in a wide arc, stopping once he was directly in front of her. He moved closer to her.

"Hannah!"

Her head swayed just a bit in response.

He moved up closer and put a hand on her forehead pushing her head up. Gently, he spoke. "Hannah." A little more loudly. "Wake up!"

Her eyelids blinked a few times as her eyes rolled upwards, showing only the whites. She blinked and stared at the man. Her eyes focused and narrowed.

"I'm going to kill you!" she spat at him and shook her head, spraying him with sweat.

"Save it." He walked over to a table and took a towel from the neatly folded and stacked pile. He wiped his face and arms and returned to Hannah. He looked over to the large mirror on the wall and nodded. Hannah's breathing became shallower with the extra sedative.

He watched her for a moment and then rubbed her hair dry. "It's all over. Tomorrow, your mission begins."

12


	6. Rest In Peace

A/N: Posted: 2/10/11

Morgan uses his training.

Once again, thanks must go to **P.J. Murphy** for his beta work.

Let me know how you feel! We live for reviews, right? Love it or hate it so some parts thereof, let me know.

* * *

_**Dec 1, 2010 - Late Afternoon**__** - Echo Park**_

The brunette sat on a bench watching a group of children at play. Their laughter entertained her and annoyed her at the same time. She couldn't decide which emotion to pursue as she was too distracted to focus on the idyllic scene in front of her.

It was cooler than she had expected and, with a shiver, she pulled her sweater in tighter, hugging herself and leaning slightly forward. She tried to hide her hands inside the sleeves; she couldn't look at them because of what they had done.

She trembled; her confusion and fear increased with every moment. She tried to remember what the lake looked like when it was covered by lotuses. They had all since died off.

Her parents would bring her here quite often for picnics. She was so much younger then and smiled as she thought about the story of _Room 8 Cat_. That smile turned to a frown when she couldn't remember her mother's face.

_When was the last time I saw my parents?_

_I killed that man. _She shuddered at the memory._ Why? Why am I doing this? _

_The Bitch! The devil's got your boyfriend._

_No. I should let it go. _

_You can't! I promised! _

_What is wrong with me?_

She shoved her hand into her bag and wrapped her fingers around the handle. She closed her eyes and felt the trigger, rubbing it with her finger.

_End this!_

_I don't want to! _She began sobbing._ Oh, Chuck! I am so sorry._

She took her hand out of her bag and withdrew a small red book and stared at it. She reached back into her bag, looking for and finding a pen. She opened the book to the back cover and wrote something down.

_Damn him. Damn me!_

She laid the book down on her lap and looked at the children running past her and felt a slight ache. _There will be none for me._

A young man about her age walked up the path towards her and could not help but notice her. _Beautiful legs and a short miniskirt._ He smiled. As he got a little closer, he saw she was crying. He slowed down and approached her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her.

She looked up at him and tried to smile. She wiped her eyes. _Cute. But, I have to go. _"Yes, everything's fine. I'm just late." _It ends with Casey._

She got up quickly before the man could respond and began to walk away. She hadn't noticed the book slid off her lap and onto the bench.

The young man was disappointed and then noticed the notebook. "Miss! Miss! You dropped something."

Hannah kept walking. If she heard the man, she ignored him.

He walked up to the bench and picked up the book. He didn't see her name in any obvious place, but there were many other names. _Who had an address book anymore? _He looked down the path after Hannah, but she had already disappeared._ Maybe I can figure something out. _He continued on his way slowly, reading through the book.

_**Early Evening **__**- Castle**_

Mortensen called Casey as soon as he returned to his station, using the agreed-upon protocol of first names only.

"John, do you have a moment?"

Casey gave the phone his 'get on with it' grunt_. Have some patience_, he reminded himself. _The man is good._

Mortensen continued. "I've reviewed each of the video surveillance recordings you provided and could find nothing out of the ordinary on them. The same group that planted the explosives performed the snatch itself. From the looks of it, very professional. The tag number came up as a stolen vehicle which has been found abandoned. I am about to send out a forensics team to retrieve the vehicle. Is that a go?"

Beckman had done a thorough job of vetting Castle staff since Chuck's abduction. Most had been cleared, but anyone with the slightest issue had been recalled to D.C. _We can't do it all on our own, _Casey reminded himself once again_. _

"Yes," Casey conceded.

"The location did not trigger any alerts. I also tapped into the city's traffic cams and picked up the vehicle at several locations, but images of the persons in the vehicle were not sufficient for facial recognition."

"Nothing, huh? But still, very good thinking." _Chuck would have thought of that. Where the hell are you?_

"Thank you, John. Sarah's vehicle has been brought in and examined. I found a hole in the rear right wheel rim. It suggests a .50 caliber round fired from a distance of no more than a thousand yards. The round was not retrieved; however the hole was clean enough for measurements. I surmise from the clean entry of the round the tire completely disintegrated. The cleaner crew did not find the position of the sniper. I'd like to go out and take a look, as he may not have policed his brass."

"Again, good thinking, but I would prefer to take a look myself with daylight. I'll come in to man Castle and give you some time out of the hole. Your efforts are appreciated."

"I could use a little sunlight." He paused. "John, if I may, a personal question regarding Sarah."

"Go ahead."

"How is she doing? The wreck looked quite nasty."

"She was cleared with nothing more than a few scratches."

"John, one more thing. She has logged a lot of hours, remotely, into Castle from Chuck's home system."

"They shared… " he slipped and quickly recovered. "…share those things now. Anything of note?"

"She has been reviewing every mission Team Bartowski has been on. Several times, in fact."

"That's not a problem."_ Or is it? _"Thanks for the update and I will come by tomorrow after I look for the sniper's position." Another element to this case had now arisen. _What was she looking for?_

"See you then." Mortensen hung up._ They were a great… they ARE a great team. Very unorthodox, but they get the job done. _

He pushed the mic away from his mouth and turned his attention back to his duties. He checked the trackers he had all the Castle staff wear. He even managed to review the surveillance feeds from Casey and became more familiar with the Team Bartowski mission briefs and dailies. _She's looking for something. Maybe another pair of eyes would help._

_**Late Evening - The Courtyard**_

"I'll be back in a minute, Alex. I wanna see what's taking Morgan so long."

Casey closed the door to his apartment and turned towards the center of the Courtyard.

"Casey!"

He recognized the woman's voice and went to a crouch. He checked his back. _No gun. Idiot!_ Softly, he acknowledged her presence. "Hannah."

"That's so sweet, you remember me." Her tone turned ice cold. "Don't move and not a sound." Hannah moved forward out of the shadows and towards the fountain with a gun pointed at Casey's head. "I've been waiting for you."

Morgan climbed through the 'Morgan door' with a movie in his hand. When he cleared the shrubbery, he saw Hannah pointing her gun at Casey and stopped. _Don't hesitate._ He laid the DVD on the ground, drew his .22, and chambered a round as quietly as he could. He raised the weapon, cupping his right hand with his left and aimed it at Hannah.

Morgan took a step forward.

Hannah pulled back the hammer with an audible click.

He took another step and squeezed the trigger. POP!

There was a red mist caught in the light behind her head as Hannah seemed to almost wobble towards him.

After that first shot, he wasn't sure what happened or what he saw through his adrenaline induced tunnel vision.

She turned towards him, her mouth open and her extended arm drooping.

He took his steps faster, squeezing the trigger as fast as he could.

His eyes were fixed on Hannah's still body lying in the fountain. Morgan was still squeezing the useless trigger after the slide had popped back. He had emptied the clip.

Casey was already in front of him, his hand on the sidearm. He gently twisted it out of Morgan's hand.

Morgan looked at Casey. "Clip!"

"It's over, Morgan."

Alex stepped out of Casey's apartment with one of her father's .357s. Sarah and Devon came out of their respective apartments, weapons drawn, a second later.

"Oh." Morgan stepped towards the fountain. "Oh Ooooh." He dropped to his knees crying and retching. "Oh God."

Alex ran towards Morgan and her father. "Was Morgan hit?"

"No, he's fine. The same can't be said for Hannah." Casey pointed towards the fountain. _Fine? No, he's not fine!_

She knelt down beside Morgan and gently rubbed his back. "You OK, hon?"

Morgan responded with another dry heave.

Sarah double-timed it to Hannah's body and fetched the gun from the bottom of the fountain. Devon was right behind her and carefully turned Hannah's body over. There was a line of five shots from just below her left ear to the final one, which had destroyed her right eye.

Sarah was impressed. "Nice shooting, Casey."

He scowled at her. "Call 911!"

"John, she's already dead," Devon responded.

He exhaled slowly and lowered his voice. "We can't blow our covers." Casey picked up Morgan in a fireman's carry and hurried back towards his apartment. He knew it was demeaning, but he wanted to make sure Morgan was out of sight and not implicated in the shooting. He already knew what he was going to do.

There was no time for questions; he barked out his orders as if he were on a battlefield. "Devon, go get Ellie. NOW. Alex, call 911." He looked back at Sarah. "Walker, find out where the fuckin' security detail was napping."

Several neighbors killed their lights and were silent. One or two peeked out their window. Sirens could be heard in the distance. Someone had overcome their fear and called the civilian authorities.

Alex followed her father and was about to dial 911. "Never mind, they're on their way," he said quietly.

Devon froze for just a second, prompting Sarah to nudge him into action. He took off to get Ellie. Sarah headed out of the courtyard to question the security detail. The lone thought in her mind was how non-existent the security appeared to be.

Casey pushed the half open door open and moved towards the couch. He shoved the coffee table away with his foot and put Morgan down on the couch. He watched Morgan for a second and knelt down beside him.

"Sit up, Morgan."

Morgan was not responsive to Casey's command. He pulled Morgan's legs to the side of the coach and Morgan slowly followed, sitting up, with his head in his hands. He began to rock back and forth while moaning.

Alex followed her father into the apartment and closed the front door behind them.

"Alex, get me a glass of Johnnie Walker," Casey ordered without taking his eyes off of Morgan.

"Scotch, Dad?"

"It's for Morgan. It should help calm his nerves a bit." _He's going to be a wreck._

The front door practically flew open as Devon appeared with Ellie. Casey had Morgan's gun out and trained at them.

He growled at them. "Dammit, Devon! What have I taught you about protocols?"

Devon merely gulped in response and Ellie grabbed at his arm as they moved into the apartment. Devon quickly moved behind Ellie towards the front door and closed it.

Ellie turned to Devon. "What the hell is he talking about? Protocols?" she whispered.

Devon squeezed his eyes. _How do I explain? I need to protect my family. But she hates this. _He opened his eyes and lowered his voice. "Not now. Morgan first." Ellie glared at him before nodding her consent.

Alex returned with a drink in her hand. She looked towards the others, came around the coffee table to the couch, and sat about a foot from Morgan.

There was a knock at the door. "It's me, Sarah."

Casey looked at the front door. "Come in, Walker!" He looked over at Devon and their eyes briefly met. Devon sheepishly nodded his understanding and opened the door for Sarah.

Casey tucked the gun in his belt and took Morgan's head in his hands. "Morgan, look at me!"

Morgan opened his eyes but still rocked back and forth on the couch. "Oh, God, John. I killed her, didn't I?"

The others stared open-mouthed at Morgan. They all thought Casey had shot Hannah.

"Yes, you did. She had the drop on me and you saved my life."

"But… but… Oh, God, I've taken someone's life." He looked up and saw Alex, "Oh, no. Please don't hate me!" He quickly looked away.

Alex was in tears. She sat there staring at Morgan, the drink in her slightly trembling hand.

Casey looked over at Alex and motioned to her to come closer. "Morgan, drink this." He then turned to the others. "I shot Hannah in self-defense. Right?"

Sarah understood and nodded her agreement. The others remained silent, still in shock.

Alex sat down next to Morgan and offered the glass to him. He tried to take it, but his hands were shaking. Alex helped him to sip it and rubbed his back again.

"Walker, what were those numbnuts doing out there?" Casey was in a full boil.

"They were on the scene as soon as they heard the shots. One of them saw Hannah walking down the sidewalk and he assumed she was a civilian. They're supposed to be discreet."

Casey's growl made everybody step back a bit. "I'm going to rearrange some of their body parts." Casey motioned to Hannah's gun in Sarah's hand. "M-1911. Looks more like CIA crap than civilian."

He pulled out his phone, said "9" and waited. "We've had an incident at Echo Park." He listened and rubbed his eyes. "Hannah was gunning for me and I was unarmed. Grimes eliminated the threat." He paused momentarily. "But, we need some assistance with the local authorities." He looked over at Morgan with a bit of respect and a tiny smile formed on his lips. "You heard me. Grimes. But I'm taking the self-defense angle. Yes. Thank you." He hung up.

Casey glared at everybody in the room. "Does anyone still doubt me when I said this ain't over?"

Sarah shook her head. "John, they're civilians, they don't understand."

He looked at Sarah for a moment before nodding in agreement. His voice lowered. "Hannah doesn't have the money, resources or training to have planned any of this. They used her because she hated Chuck and knew who we are and where we were."

He turned and knelt down so he was at eye level with Morgan. "Morgan?"

Casey waited quietly until Morgan's eyes were able to focus on him. "Thank you. I owe you my life. I know you're going through hell right now, but I need you to get yourself together and get your head back in the game. Can you do that? For me? For Alex?"

Morgan stared blankly for a moment before nodding. Casey had to give him credit; he was handling it much better than the average person would.

Casey stood up. "Alex, take him to the spare bedroom and help him get some sleep."

Sarah was already at Morgan's side, taking his arm. "Morgan, stand up."

Morgan slowly got to his feet; half-lifted by Alex and Sarah, and followed their steps towards the hallway and to the bedroom.

"What have I done?" he asked.

"What you had to do," Sarah reassured him. "You saved your friend's life."

_**Night - **__**The Woodcomb's Apartment**_

Sarah walked the Woodcombs across the courtyard to their apartment in silence. Ellie opened the door and walked in. Before following his wife, Devon grabbed Sarah's arm. "Could you please stay with us tonight? I don't think she could ask you, but it would do wonders for Ellie's peace of mind."

Sarah was tired of falling asleep alone with a bottle and quickly agreed. Ellie noticed Sarah coming in with Devon and smiled. They shared a hug for the first time since Chuck was taken.

Devon was relieved they didn't argue over Chuck again. Ellie looked tired, and it was not due to her pregnancy. The weight of the past few days had drawn lines around her eyes. Normally, Sarah felt Chuck's warmth in her eyes, but tonight that warmth was replaced with fatigue and fear.

Ellie pulled back from Sarah. "There's a bed in the guest room, but it'll have to be made." She walked down the hallway towards the bedrooms. She opened the linen closet and took out some sheets and a pillow. She quietly handed them to Devon. She looked down the hall towards her room. "Poor Morgan. Everything's out of control." Absentmindedly, she turned and wandered into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"Go take care of Ellie," Sarah quietly told Devon. "I can handle making the bed on my own."

Devon put his free hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Things may get a little nasty within the family. But try to remember, it's the fear talking. She knows deep-down you and John are doing everything you can to bring Chuck home."

Sarah took the linens from Devon. She didn't bother hiding her exhaustion and frustration. "She's still mad at me. Not that I really blame her, but she's the one I always talked to. I… I feel alone out here right now."

"Yeah, I know. She's everyone's big sister." Devon looked at her with sympathy. "Unfortunately, I don't have her gift for making people open up. But if you need someone, I'd be more than happy to listen."

Sarah gave him a smile and took the pillow from him. "Thanks, 'bro." She kissed him on his cheek.

Devon stared briefly at Sarah, as he was unaccustomed to Sarah being so informal with him. But what she said cheered him up. "I like how that sounds. I hope he comes to his senses and finally asks you."

Sarah nodded. "Me, too." _It might help if I didn't get so tongue tied with Chuck,_ she thought."Good night, Devon. Go. Ellie needs you."

Sarah watched Devon go to be with Ellie. Several hours later, Sarah found that she knew exactly how many tiles were on the living room and kitchen floors.

_**Casey's Apartment**_

"CASEY!"

"It's OK, it's over. It's just a nightmare," Alex gently whispered as she drew Morgan in tightly and kissed his head.

Morgan murmured and went back to sleep.

Alex envied him for being able to fall back asleep. She laid there, her eyes staring at Morgan's silhouette in the dark. It was the third time he had screamed and she sensed it wouldn't be the last. "Thank you, hon, for saving my father's life. I don't hate you, I love you." She winced. _I've wanted to tell you that, but not now. Not like this._ She stroked his hair gently as Morgan's breathing got shallower.

…

Casey sat in his lounger in the middle of his living room and drank…heavily. He lifted the bottle and looked at it. _Careful__. _He looked up at the ceiling and he could feel the anger rising. He lowered the bottle until it rested on the arm of the chair.

_Why did my life have to get so complicated? _He shook his head in disbelief. _What life? Twenty something years taken from me. I gave up my life and I want it the freak back!_ He let out a long, low growl.

When the police arrived, their chief was with them. Beckman had called ahead and made sure he interviewed Casey. The chief understood, in no uncertain terms, what he was supposed to do. Nothing. The agency would collect the body and all evidence. This was a National Security issue.

He turned on all of the surveillance devices in and around the three apartments. He saw nothing except for the occasional numbnut on patrol. To make matters worse, he heard everything from the spare bedroom. Morgan and Alex were enduring the longest night of their lives.

_**Dec 2, 2010 - **__**Pre Dawn**_

Casey woke to the sounds of birds chirping in the courtyard. _What the hell are they so happy about? The whole damn world is upside down and they don't care._

"QUIET!"

The sound of his own voice dug into his brain straight through his eyes. He let out a small moan, put his hands to his head, and closed his eyes. _I must've slept. _He tensed up._ Morgan, Alex! _He relaxed again._ Let them sleep._

He got up slowly, the ringing in his head having subsided a bit, and made his way to the bathroom. He could hear them breathing slowly and lightly. _Someone snores. _He smiled as he walked past the guest bedroom to his. He quietly closed the door and pulled his t-shirt off over his head. As he reached into the shower to get the water started, he felt the buzz of the phone in his pocket. The person on the Caller ID made him smile a bit.

"Casey."

"Johnny boy! Do you miss me?" Carina sounded like she just got back from the best party she ever attended.

Grunt. He felt the anger rising from his stomach again. But Casey wasn't angry with Carina. Far from it; he was grateful for how professionally she handled her assignments. He was angry with himself, and he wanted to break something, someone. "It's a mess."

"What's a mess?"

"Everything! Goddamn spy world can kiss my ass!"

Carina calmed down and even sounded very concerned. "John, are you OK?"

"Hannah tried to kill me last night."

_His responses are even worse over the phone!_ But she let it slide. "Since you're talking to me now, I gather you took her out. Isn't that a good thing?"

He grunted absentmindedly, "Morgan."

"What! Johnny, did something happen to Morgan?" _Damn it, John, express yourself a little better!_

He could feel the desperation in her voice. "No. No, he's fine. Actually, he saved my life, Carina." _I just hope this hasn't broken the boy._

There was a brief silence on the phone. "I have a few things to finish up. Then I'm coming home."

…

He felt a lot better after the shower and was actually looking forward to seeing Carina again, but it would take a few hours for her to get back. Given their history, he was surprised at how well they were getting along. He put a fresh black t-shirt on, grabbed his hairbrush, and walked towards the kitchen.

As he passed the spare bedroom, he could still hear the snoring; at least someone was getting some sleep. _Good. Let them sleep._ He kept walking towards the front door. He left the brush on the table, grabbed his keys and made his way out as quietly as he could.

_**Morning - The Woodcomb's Apartment**_

Casey walked a few steps towards Ellie's apartment and was drawn towards the fountain. It had been thoroughly cleaned, but he could still 'see' the blood. _Morgan's never going to be the same. What did Ellie say about everyone being tainted by the spy business? _He closed his eyes._ Everyone I know or care about is in the business now._

"John, are you OK?" Ellie was just a few feet away.

He opened his eyes, "Yeah."

He looked over and saw Ellie's face, her eyes stuck on the fountain, growing in horror at the memory of the previous night.

He took her arm and gently turned her away from the fountain.

"Oh, God. Morgan. How is he?"

"They're still asleep." He looked back towards his apartment and frowned. "Morgan had a very hard time of it. But it sounded like Alex calmed him down." He turned back to Ellie. "Have you had breakfast yet?" _Get me away from here._

She didn't respond at first. She looked towards Casey. "No, not yet. Why don't you come in? I have coffee up."

"Sure." _She's the only one who sees this mess for what it is._

"I think I kept Devon up all night, but he's finally sleeping and I haven't heard Sarah get up yet." Ellie turned and headed back in to her apartment.

He snarled at the fountain, turned and followed her into the apartment.

She called out from the kitchen, "Have a seat, John."

Casey stood in the dining area and stared at the chairs. He looked towards the kitchen and followed after her, almost colliding with her as she was headed out to him. He took the coffee Ellie had poured for him. "Ellie, I was actually on my way over here when you found me outside."

"I know."

"Have I been that bad?"

"No, not at all," she smiled. "You have helped me so much through the past year, too." She frowned, remembering Shaw and her father. "I have always enjoyed our talks. Chuck hasn't talked to me very much since you and Sarah showed up. I understand why, I just wish he could…" Ellie began to cry.

Casey held out his free arm and Ellie grabbed him, burying her face in his chest. He put his coffee down on the counter and hugged her with both arms. He needed contact with a normal person. _Grunt. Chuck. Morgan._

"I'm so sorry, John, I've been a mess these…" she sighed and leaned her forehead against his chest. "…these last few days."

"Let's sit." He let go of her and took her by the hand. Ellie brushed the hair out of her face and grabbed her coffee as Casey led her to the living room.

…

Sarah's eyes opened and she smiled._ I slept, I actually slept. _Then she sighed. _And counted. But, it's nice to wake up without a hangover._ Sarah slid her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched. She then looked over at where Chuck should have been.

"Where the hell are you?" she pleaded to the empty room.

Sarah thought about all the times she spoke with Ellie and how much it helped. _Why can't I talk to Chuck that way? I'd rip through the worst Far Eastern jungle for him. And all he wants to hear is how I feel__. Don't I show him how I feel? _She took a deep breath and reached for the door when she heard someone talking. _Casey? He talks to Ellie? _She smiled._ Devon said she's everyone's big sister. Even Casey's._

She turned back into the room and looked for something to stall herself in order to give Casey a little more time with Ellie. She scanned the various items that Ellie had laid out to decorate the room.

On the desk, there were numerous pictures of Chuck and Sarah, even several of just her. One picture caught her eye; it was a shot of Chuck, smiling at the camera. _That smile._ It made her smile. It had been taken around the time Devon wanted Chuck's permission to marry Ellie. She was wearing her Wienerlicious uniform and stood off to the side. _Ugh, I hated that place, but Chuck sure liked the outfit._ She smirked. _Maybe_ _I'll surprise him with it._

Sarah was about to put the picture back on the desk when she took a closer look. She realized that in the shot she was looking at Chuck and seemed oblivious to everything else. It was quite obvious that she was very much in love with him. _You were always that guy. _Tears started to form and she wiped her eyes. Sarah looked back at the picture. _I remember Ellie taking this. _She laughed._ We couldn't fool Ellie at all, she always knew. _

With a smile, she returned the picture to the desk.

…

"Ellie, I've been meaning to check in on you for a few days now, but things have been…difficult." He looked down at the ground for a moment. "I'm just frustrated. You've really helped me with Alex. To help me connect with her. But when you needed me, I've been unable to help you."

"You've been looking for Chuck. That's what's important."

He nodded. "And Carina has really come through for us in ways I never expected. I mean, she's one of Sarah's closest friends and we have a…history, but I was always reticent to trust her." He shook his head with a half smile. "With all of us under fire, literally, she has been a godsend. We've just about exhausted every lead."

With her hand cupping her mouth, she repeated what Casey said. "Every lead?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Sarah and I feel useless; we stick our heads up for a second and we have to dive for cover. It's one thing to go to war with an enemy you can see, but they've ambushed us in our home."

Ellie put a hand on Casey's shoulder. Casey covered her hand with his.

"And Sarah." Ellie looked up the ceiling and wiped the bottom of her eyes. "I haven't spoken to her since Devon dragged me to Castle. I really let it all out on her. She and I need to have one of our talks."

"You talk to Sarah?" Casey asked.

Ellie knew what he meant. "Yeah, I'm everyone's big sister, even Alex and Morgan," she replied with a tinge of sarcasm. "Everybody but my own little brother. All because he's afraid of betraying some state secrets." She paused, and that smile Casey always appreciated out of her made its appearance. "He knows I can get anything out of him, so he avoided me. Besides, isn't he the biggest secret?"

"Yeah. Actually, he is. Just don't tell him I said that."

She smiled. "Never. Besides that would break our trust." She felt his silence, "John, we've come too far for you to go back to stone."

He couldn't look at her directly and stared at his cup, "There was a time when I wouldn't have cared. I would even have been happy, it would mean I was done with California and could get back to some real work." He stalled by taking another sip of coffee.

"And now?"

"Things are different now. I have a family."

"Alex would be happy to hear you say that."

"I don't mean just Alex. I'm talking about all of you." Casey sank back on the couch. I'm talking about the Bartowski Family, the extended one."

Ellie smiled. "Believe me, you've been part of the family for a long time. What you've done for all of us…"

"…I've let them down," Casey interrupted.

"What are you talking about?"

Casey quietly growled at himself. "Protecting the asset, the Int…" he caught himself. "…Chuck. That was my job."

"That wasn't your fault, John."

Casey continued, ignoring her, "He was taken right from under my nose." He paused to take a sip of coffee from an already empty cup. "Excuse me, I need some more coffee. You?" He stood and waited.

"No, I'm good."

He nodded and headed back to the kitchen. Ellie didn't dare look, but she did hear a moan from the kitchen. A "dammit!" from Casey startled her. She closed her eyes and waited.

"Are you OK?" Ellie opened her eyes. Casey had returned, and the question was directed at her.

"Yes, I'm fine. How is Morgan?"

"I don't know. He'll need time, but he'll have to do most of it on his own. All we can do is treat the moron the same as we always have."

She glared at him. "JOHN!"

Casey put his hand up. "Sorry. Old habit. I really have to stop that. I mean, look at him. He isn't the same Morgan I met four years ago."

"Alex has been a very good influence on him."

Casey shook his head with confidence. "Oh, no. He earned that." He paused. "Alex doesn't know the old Morgan. She saw something in him we missed." His head dropped, and he closed his eyes as if in pain. "Now, I'm afraid I've broken him. I hope the both of them can forgive me."

"John, he did it to save your life..."

"He shouldn't have had to do it. If I hadn't left my goddamn gun in the house, I would've been able to take her out myself"

Ellie winced at how readily Casey would have preferred to do the killing. "He cares about you, John. He fears you, but he loves you too. He was protecting family."

"Would you be saying say the same thing if it had been Devon trying to protect you?"

Ellie put her face into her hands. "I don't know. I just don't know the answer to that, John."

Casey rested a hand on Ellie's back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you Ellie. None of you asked to be thrown into my world, Sarah's world, but you were. And now we have to deal with that."

They heard a door close. Ellie sat up. "Good morning, Sarah." She looked at Casey. "Any coffee left?" He nodded.

Sarah came out into the living room. "Good morning, Ellie. Hey, Casey."

Ellie got up and went to the kitchen. "There's still some coffee left," she informed Sarah as she passed her.

Casey turned to face the women. "Ellie, would you mind if we made a real breakfast? I think Morgan could use a little normalcy right now."

Sarah grinned. It was the best thing she had heard in days. "I would love some pancakes."

Ellie laughed. "OK, pancakes it is. That sounds normal enough." She looked right at Casey and grinned. "But you're going to make them for us!"

Growl.

"John…" Ellie glared at him.

"Fine." He slumped his way into the kitchen in full defeat. Sarah smirked. _His 'big sister' has him wrapped around her finger._

"Let me call Morgan and Alex." As he took his phone from his pocket, it started to ring. He smiled, it was Alex.

"Alex, good morning." He listened and then furrowed his brow. "I thought he was with you." Another pause. "I'll be right over." He hung up, stuffed the phone in his pocket, and walked back to the living room.

"Walker, Grimes is gone."

"Gone?" both Sarah and Ellie asked at the same time. "Where did he go?" Sarah asked with rising concern.

"He slipped out past Alex." He groaned in frustration for not being more vigilant. "And I can't tell you when he was last in bed. Alex just woke up and I never looked." He moved towards the front door.

"I think I know where he is," Ellie said. "The beach. It's where Chuck and he would hide when they were kids."

Sarah turned to Ellie. "The video arcade at the Santa Monica Pier?"

Ellie grimaced for not having thought of this before. "Look at it from his angle. In the last year, everybody has made a lot of demands on him. He was a self-professed "greatest slacker in the world," and now look at him. He's now manager of the Buy More, he's had to keep all of your identities secret, he's in a serious relationship for the first time in his life. He criss-crossed the world helping Chuck find our mother…"

"And now he had to kill someone to save my life," Casey quietly replied.

Ellie nodded gravely. "Last night might have pushed him over the edge. Let me go get him. Seeing either of you right now might just remind him too much of last night."

Casey shook his head, "No. Chuck would never… _I'd_ never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I'll get Devon to drive." Ellie offered. "Let me go wake him up."

As if on cue, Devon walked out into the living room wearing nothing but his training shorts. He waved good morning to the three of them and headed into the kitchen. "Anyone want an energy drink?"

"I'd like to live," Casey quietly grunted.

Ellie closed her eyes and mumbled something about agreeing with Casey. "Devon, get dressed. We going down to the pier."

"Oh?"

"I'll explain on the way."

_**Santa Monica Pier**_

"There, there's an open spot." Ellie pointed out a space just a few yards from the boardwalk itself.

Devon turned the minivan into the spot and killed the engine.

"OK, you two," Casey reminded them of the plan through their earpieces. "Stay together. Or at least in each other's line of sight. And one of you must always stay in our line of sight." He nodded to Alex, and she got out of the Vic with a pair of binoculars.

Ellie nodded her agreement to Casey's instructions.

"You have to speak, they can't see you in here." Devon reminded her.

"Sorry, John. Stay together, line of sight, got it." Ellie repeated._ So much to remember. That's what he meant last night!_

"Protocols. Just like medical protocols," she whispered to Devon.

"John, we're good," Devon reassured him. He turned to Ellie. "Babe, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, hon. She leaned over and whispered to Devon in the ear where he wasn't wearing an earpiece, hoping Casey wouldn't be able to hear her. "I think I'm beginning to understand how that man thinks."

"When you do, fill me in," Devon smirked. He got out of the car, came around to Ellie and helped her out. They started their boardwalk 'stroll'. Ellie entered the first building, scanning for Morgan.

Devon lost sight of Ellie behind a large flight simulator game. "Ellie, come back, I can't see you."

"John, this isn't working, the arcades are huge and dark." Ellie paused for a moment and looked around. "I'd like to skip to the beach under the pier."

"Go ahead, Ellie," Sarah replied. "John and I will take a stroll down the beach." Sarah turned to Casey. "Let's take a walk, Mr. Walker."

Casey scowled while Ellie giggled. Sarah managed to keep a straight face, but Alex looked at her father and almost lost it. She ceased when Casey gave her an angry glare.

Ellie came back outside and took Devon's arm, pretending to be the perfect young couple out for a stroll. They spotted Morgan sitting on a bench, just off the boardwalk in sight of the Ferris wheel. Ellie had the earwig in her left ear and decided to approach Morgan from his left so he couldn't see it. Devon held back a few feet and kept an eye on the beach for Sarah and Casey.

"Morgan? Are you OK?" She sat down next to Morgan and faced him. She wanted to reach out to him but wasn't sure if he was ready.

He seemed unfazed by Ellie's presence. But he hissed at her, "Where are they?"

_Oh, God, that's not the Morgan I know. Take a breath. Relax._ "They're not here. It's just you and me, sitting on a bench."

She gulped hard; she hated lying to Morgan. It was not quite a lie but not quite the truth, either. But she wanted to protect Morgan. She felt a glimmer of sadness. T_his is how Chuck must have felt lying to protect me._

"Just keep them the hell away from me." Morgan put a hand through his hair and leaned over, resting the top of his head in his palms. He was beginning to shake.

"Devon brought me. They're not here. Just you and me." _Another half-truth. A twisting of the truth._

Sarah listened to Ellie's and Morgan's exchange through her earpiece. A cold shiver went through her and she bit her lip.

"Morgan, why did you run off?"

Morgan was not really paying attention to Ellie. He was lost again in his own thoughts and fears.

"God, Alex. I've lost her. She's going to hate me. Can't blame her. I already hate me."

"No! Stop!"

Morgan plowed on. "Poor Hannah. Ellie, what happened to her? She was such a pretty girl, so sweet. You liked her, too. What did Chuck do to her?"

"Morgan, slow down! You're making a big assumption." Ellie was starting to panic. _This is not good. I can't break his trust like this._

Ellie ripped her earpiece out, palmed it and then dropped it by her foot. She moved her foot to cover it. The feedback caused Devon and the others to pull their earpieces out. Devon saw Sarah and Casey sprinting towards them, but he waved them off. Alex couldn't see the exchange from the Vic. She got out and ran towards the Boardwalk. All she could think about was Morgan.

"Ellie, I can't keep up. I'm drowning. Everyone said to me, 'Grow Up, Morgan, Grow Up'. So I grew up and they stuck a gun in my hand. And now I'm a murderer."

Ellie's rising panic went over the edge. She grabbed Morgan's face. "No! Don't do this! You are not a murderer! You saved John's life!"

"NOOO!" He pushed away from her and stood up. "I should have been there for Chuck! I should have gone shopping with him! Then he would still be here with us! It's all my fault! Goddamn Buy More! Goddamn spy world! They can all go to hell!"

Morgan began to cry. He was beyond rational thought. He backpedaled away from Ellie but tripped and fell to his knees in the sand. He didn't even notice. "Tell Sarah to go away and take Casey with her!"

Morgan was loud enough for Devon to hear and he winced. He never thought the little guy, his friend, could feel so much pain. To an extent, Devon envied Morgan a little for being able to keep such an even keel, no matter what happened. But that Morgan was nowhere to be found right now.

Alex sprinted down to the beach, passed Devon, and came around the bench towards Morgan. She dropped to her knees by Morgan and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Morgan continued crying into her shoulder as she held him and rocked back and forth in the sand. Ellie looked ready to go to them, but Devon gently grabbed her elbow and hung on to her. She took the hint and simply watched Alex hold Morgan as if to shield him. A few tears came down Ellie's cheek at seeing Morgan like this. She pulled herself more tightly inside of her husband's embrace.

Sarah and Casey approached Ellie and Devon, making sure their path from the beach took a wide arc to avoid Morgan and Alex.

"Ellie, what happened with your earpiece?" Sarah gently asked.

Ellie bent down to retrieve her it, took Sarah's hand and placed the earpiece in it. "What Morgan had to say to me was, as the CIA might say, on a need-to-know basis."

Ellie looked at Morgan and Alex. She exhaled deeply and turned back to Sarah with a less guarded stance. "Sarah, how bad was it for you?" _And what about Chuck? _She didn't ask that out loud. _I have to hear that from him._

Sarah was startled by the question. But it was obvious Ellie wasn't asking out of some kind of morbid curiosity. She needed to know in order to help Morgan in any way she could.

"The first time…I…"

"Yes."

_Damn red test. _Sarah was feeling even more ill at ease. She felt Casey's hand at her side and grabbed it. He did not pull away. _Thank you for that, John._ "I threw up and drank myself stupid for days."

Sarah paused and then looked at Ellie. "And I didn't even know the target." She paused and drew in a breath. "Morgan really liked Hannah."

"Oh, God." Ellie wiped away a few stray tears. She now understood all too well why everybody kept secrets from her. "Perhaps you two should wait in John's car. Morgan isn't thinking too clearly right now and is looking for something to direct his anger at. And right now, you and John are easy targets."

"You're right," Sarah replied. "Would you mind if I stayed at your place again? Morgan can have our place to himself. Maybe give him the space he needs."

Ellie shook her head. "Perhaps it would be better if he spent the night with us. I'd like him to know I'm around to talk to, if it'll help."

Sarah smiled. "It will. You've helped all of us."

Sarah turned to Casey and gestured towards the Vic. She gently pulled him along with her.

* * *

A/N: Rest In Peace, Hannah.


	7. Letting Go

**A/N: Posted 4/11**

Wow. Two months since my last update. I have been suffering from an horrific bout of writer's block. I didn't even know what it was as, I ain't a writer. Fear is the only word that comes to mind to describe it. I knew what I wanted to have happen in the story, but I couldn't get past the sentence I was trying to write. Horrid.

This is Chapter 7. Beta work, with wonderful saves, was done by **P.J. Murphy** and my thanks go to him, yet again. He has Chapter 8 in his hands. Chapters 9 & 10 are almost done. There should be two more chapters after that, judging from the amount of material I have. And an Epilogue.

The story thus far;

Chuck is taken the day after Thanksgiving as he tries to do some early Christmas shopping. He sneaks out of his apartment and is nabbed leaving one of the stores.

Sarah and Casey are virtual prisoners. They want to find Chuck, but every time they poke their heads up, someone takes a shot at them. The family wants them to stay close. At least until there is real evidence pointing to where Chuck might be.

Hannah, yes, that Hannah, had been 'recruited' shortly after her breakup with Chuck last year. But, for whom does she work? We find out that she has been put through hell with mind altering drugs and has become a rather nasty, cold-hearted bitch. Or has she? Her 'treatments' seem to be wearing off and she tries to fight the urge to continue with her mission. She had already sent a sniper after Sarah, putting her in the hospital. Casey is next and Hannah almost succeeds. Casey has trained Morgan well as it is Morgan that kills Hannah saving Casey's life. But at a huge cost to his mental well-being; he thinks copious amounts of booze will help.

Carina is in town for Thanksgiving, but stays to help in the search for Chuck. There are quite a few surprises in store for her.

Castle has basically been abandoned; the other agents having been kicked upstairs into the Buy More. No one is trusted, save a single new agent, vetted by General Beckman.

Team B has gone dark for the duration…

Let me know how you feel! We live for reviews, right? Love it or hate it or some parts thereof, let me know. Don't get me wrong, the PMs are nice, so hit with those if you're at all shy.

* * *

_**Dec 2, 2010**__** - Noon - Casey's Vic**_

They drove behind their 'family', close enough to protect them but far enough back so Morgan wouldn't be able to spot them.

Sarah finally broke the silence. "I hope Ellie can help Morgan." A grunt was all she got in return.

Sarah furrowed her brow and stared at Casey; for the first time in a long time, she had absolutely no idea what he meant.

Casey caught the quizzical look on her face and sighed. "Walker, Ellie would make an incredible interrogator. If there's a crack, she'll find it and break it wide open." He put on a half smile but was troubled Morgan had to go through this for him.

He lightened a bit. "Morgan doesn't stand a chance."

"And what if she doesn't find that 'crack'?"

"Then we'll have to do it the old fashioned way." _Johnnie Walker, _he thought_._

They resumed their silence for a bit as they followed behind Ellie. Casey glanced over at his partner.

"Would you text Devon? I'd like to make sure he and Alex still have their sidearms." Sarah took out her phone and began typing. "I promised Mortensen I would relieve him for a while."

Sarah's mobile phone beeped a moment later. She read the message aloud.

_Yes, both. Ellie not happy but no grief. Something wrong?_

"Good," Casey replied. "Tell him to keep an eye out; he's point. Alex has Morgan."

"OK. And done." Sarah looked up and realized they weren't headed home. "Where to?"

"It was definitely a sniper that got your Porsche. I'd like to scout out the area and see if I can find his position."

"Good. Anything is better than sitting at home and counting tiles."

"Tiles?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I counted the tiles in the Woodcomb's apartment."

She got a 'been there' grunt in response. "And reading mission briefs?"

She shot Casey a look. "How'd you know?"

"Mortensen told me you were searching through the briefs as well. I've been doing the same thing. Did you find anything?"

Sarah turned to him in wide-eyed anger. "Wait! What? You're spying on me?"

Casey growled in frustration. "No. Mortensen was worried about you. I'm worr…" He exhaled and kept his mouth shut, sorry he opened it in the first place.

"Just…stop looking over my shoulder, please," she curtly replied before closing her eyes. She didn't know why she was so angry, but she couldn't let it go. _He's trying to look out for me. _

"John…"

Casey was stone silent as he drove, giving Sarah no indication he even heard her.

_**The Room**_

He had a strange sensation. He felt as if he was watching himself.

_You were right about children, Sarah. We should have had another._

_No. That's not right. None of this is right._

_**The Freeway**_

They had driven down the freeway for the last ten minutes in total silence. Each agent stewed in their own anger, sadness and guilt. There was an impasse between them neither wanted nor knew how to get around. They dealt with it in the manner their old spy world habits instructed them: they ignored it.

Casey pulled off the freeway at the exit before the location where Sarah had been attacked and continued along the access road. He came to a stop at a nondescript point along the side of road. He reached over Sarah without a word and opened the glove box, extracting a yellow mesh bag and then closed the glove box. He got out of the car and walked up the incline towards the freeway.

Sarah got out of the Vic, felt a slight twitch, and took her sidearm out. She checked it before putting the safety back on and stuffing it back in her belt. She closed the car door and quickly followed her partner. The tension between the two was lifted for now as they slipped into their old spy selves.

Three days following the attack, and the tall grasses had rebounded from a previous visitor's presence…for the most part. A seasoned hunter would have recognized the broken stalks of grass, browned with a few splotches of black, just below the rise of the ground overlooking the freeway. Casey took eight measured paces, a little less than as many meters, back towards his car from where he suspected the sniper had positioned himself. He made a wide arc around that position, eventually completing a circle. He took a side step inwards and repeated the circle with Sarah about a meter behind him. Both stared at the ground looking for the spent casing.

He felt Sarah stop and turned around to see where she had her eyes trained. He opened the yellow mesh bag, took out pair of tweezers, and handed them to Sarah. He got down on one knee and laid the bag on the ground, taking out a small metal tray, a brush with long wispy hairs, fingerprint powder, and several plastic tabs.

Sarah held the casing above the tray as Casey dusted it all the way around. He looked up at Sarah and frowned. A perfect, unsmudged thumbprint had appeared in the applied dust.

"What the...? Why would someone have handled the round while loading the clip?" Sarah asked.

"I was thinking the same thing. He's either not a pro or got careless." His eyes moved from Sarah's face back to the casing. "Or, it's a plant."

Casey took one of the plastic tabs and peeled the backing off of it. He lined up the tape with the casing's edges and rolled it around the side. He then carefully peeled the tape from the casing and re-applied it to the tab it came on. He opened an evidence bag, slid the tape tab into it, and pulled out another evidence bag. He held it open under the casing. Sarah dropped the casing into the bag.

"Let's get back to Castle. We'll start running this through AFIS and the intelligence databases."

_**The Room**_

"Devil's got your boyfriend, he's got the one who said he'd always love you, he'd never leave you. Devil's got your boy and he'll never let go."

_What the hell? I know that song. Who's the devil? That's the question._

He wasn't sure how long he had been awake, but his thoughts were clearer.

_Is that a message or just some random piece of noise to stick in my ear? _

_If it is a message, who is it from and who is it for? And why? It's not like I could do anything with it. _

_**An Office at an unknown location**_

He was quite pleased; the operation looked like it was progressing well. The subject was taking much longer than most would take to break, but the cracks were there. They had finally woken up and realized how dangerous the Intersect really was. Chuck. He wasn't even a real agent. Despite not being formally trained, his team had already amassed one of the best records in the business. But those little girl screams, they had to be a cover.

He cringed at the next folder his assistant had at the ready for him. It contained the next quarter's budget. Another slash. Damn NSA. The Intersect project was supposed to be a joint operation, but they were keeping a lion's share of the seizure proceeds. Did they think intelligence grew on trees? It had to be cultivated; it took money…hard cash…to fund these operations. He banged the top of the desk with a closed-fisted hand, shoved the folder to the bottom of his pile and moved to the next folder.

The first item in Krang's dailies was about a murder the local LEOs were investigating that was characterized as an execution in the newspapers. From the description of the murder victim, he knew what had happened. She killed Hoover and was on the loose. _That stupid bitch is going to take everything down with her._ He'd have to find her and get her contained, even if it meant going out there in person.

He pulled out his phone and stabbed out a number. He heard the ring and put the phone to his ear. "Bring the car around."

He hung up and made another call. "Prepare Barcelona. And stuff the intel." _Who is running this op, him or Payne? Damn guy is a real pain._

Krang pocketed his phone, collated the papers on his desk, and placed them into a folder. He stood, grabbed his bag, and shoved the folder in next to the other folders. He made a quick check of the office to be sure nothing was left exposed and headed out the door.

Krang's Limo

He spotted a food truck. "Driver, pull over!" Krang jumped out before his driver could get the door.

He looked back at the driver. "Care for a dirty water dog?" He didn't wait for an answer; he just walked up to the food truck and ordered six dogs, all with mustard, hold the kraut. He hadn't had one since he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn.

He returned to the car with his prize and held out two for his driver, who was standing by the rear door, holding it open for Krang.

"Sometimes, you just have to stop and live a little."

The driver took the dogs and held them in his outstretched hand, not sure what to do with them.

Krang unwrapped his first and took a bite. He smiled, "Not as good as I remember them, but this ain't Brooklyn." He looked at his driver and frowned. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, sir. I've just never had one of these before."

"Well, damn it boy, take a bite before it gets cold." He unwrapped his second hot dog as he got back into the car. "We need to get going. I have a chopper waiting for me."

_**Castle**_

Mortensen looked up to see Casey and Sarah enter through the air lock and smiled. His smile slowly faded as he saw their dour faces.

"Colonel Casey, sir. Agent Walker, ma'am. What's the problem?"

"We found the casing and there is a perfect print on it," Casey reported.

"Well, that's great!" He paused and thought that through. "Or is it?"

"It seems a little too convenient." Casey walked over to the forensics station and laid the bag down. His tone changed; it was almost jovial for Casey. "OK, Mortensen. Get going. I don't expect to see you until tomorrow morning."

"You sure?" He gestured at the evidence bags.

"You think I started doing this yesterday? Move it!"

"Yes, sir," he turned and walked towards the stairs.

Sarah could have sworn she saw a salute. "Hold on. Mind giving me a lift home? I don't think my Porsche will see pavement for a while."

Mortensen nodded and waited.

She turned to Casey. "Unless you have something?"

"Yeah, check in on Morgan for me."

She smiled. "Sure thing." _Sometimes we do think the same way._

Casey was already busy getting the fingerprint search started.

She turned to leave with Mortensen. "Shall we?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She stopped cold in her tracks. "I swear, if you ever call me ma'am again, I will pop you one. It's Sarah."

He flinched ever so slightly. "Yes, m… Sarah."

"See you later, John."

"Walker."

She swore she heard him laughing as she departed with Mortensen. It brought a smile to her face she hadn't felt since this started. _At least we're not completely broken._

…

Casey started the database search and decided to perform some much-needed weapons cleaning. He was alone in Castle and found it comforting. All the other agents had been cleared out of Castle and put on Buy More duty. _We'll need to get a cleaning crew down here. _He shook his head and grunted_. A man with a mop needs a security clearance to clean a toilet. That's the government for you._

He checked his email, several of which were from Mortensen. _Good Lord, the man has been busy._ He had all the bases covered, even the supply closet inventory.

_The moron and Walker will not be too pleased about that_, he smirked, which quickly faded when he realized his gaffe. _The moron. Sorry. Chuck._

"Damn it, we're no closer to finding him than we were a week ago," he cursed aloud to the empty room. "I can't even blame this on distractions." He exhaled in frustration. _What the hell did we miss?_

He walked into the armory and got busy with what he had originally intended to do to pass the search time away. A few moments later, he was ramming the brush through the gun barrel. He smirked at the action as his mind began to wander to thoughts of Carina. _Not a bad woman really, but sometimes she can be a real pain in the ass._ "Literally," he muttered. _Next time it's my turn._

…

With a loud _plomp_, Carina dropped her bag on the floor by the armory door.

Casey looked up from the table where he was cleaning his weapon. His face was impossible to read.

She was tired but horny as hell. "Hey, baby! Miss me?"

Casey put his weapon down and stood up, apparently with a little difficulty.

Her eyes dropped down to the bulge in his pants and smirked. "Looks like you have."

He didn't say a word as he walked over to her and kissed her roughly. Casey grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hallway towards the living quarters.

"Hey slow down, will ya, Johnny?" She kicked off her heels and tried to catch her balance.

Casey never heard her; he just kept pulling her along with an increasing urgency. He remembered the second room on the left was unoccupied and slid his key card in the security lock. The door opened and he pulled her in behind him. As soon as the door closed, he locked it.

He turned to Carina and got inches from her face. "Strip!" he commanded in a guttural voice.

Carina's eyes widened. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" she shouted at Casey with a bit of a snarl.

He paused in brief shock before turning away from her, walking to the wall on the opposite site of the room, and banging his hands on it. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He knew he had gone too far. Their past encounters were always just fun filled diversions. He always letting her take control; she seemed to need it. This time, he just wanted to fill an emptiness, to use her for his own pleasure without her games, and he forgot to take her into account. She was changing and he was falling back into their old rut.

She took a step forward and put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me, Johnny, but how about a little respect here?"

She saw his shoulders slump at the words. She softened her tone. "You're afraid for Chuck. I get that. I know what he means to you and Sarah. Why do you think I volunteered for this?" She paused, almost imperceptibly, and continued in a much quieter voice as she stepped closer to him. "But you need to know what you mean to me."

Her words bit into him, except that last part. _What did she say?_ He was startled when he felt a gentle touch on the back of his neck. He lowered his arm, straightened himself up and took a deep breath. He turned towards her with every intention to apologize.

"Carina…" His jaw dropped.

She was standing just behind him completely naked. And she never felt so naked, as she had an overwhelming desire to cover herself. She looked down at the floor and blushed when she saw John's face.

_I must be very horny or…Oh God! Just don't laugh at me._ She took a deep breath, straightened up and smiled, looking directly into John's eyes.

There was a huge lump in his throat and all he could manage was a croak. "Car..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, grabbed his hair in her hands, and kissed him passionately.

His surprise evaporated as his hands grabbed her around the waist as he kissed her back. He moved his hands down to her ass and was about to lift her up, but Carina had her own plan. She pushed away from him and put a finger on his lips. He had a confused daze on his face and Carina smiled.

She knelt down in front of him, slowly untied a shoe, and lifted his leg. He complied and picked it up. She removed the one shoe and repeated the act with the other.

He looked down at Carina, seeing a beautiful softness he had not noticed before.

She reached up, pulled down his zipper, and wiggled his pants to his ankles. When he tried to help, she gently brushed his arms away. She was being excruciatingly slow, lifting one leg, freeing it when he shifted and lifted. She did the same with the other leg. He backed up and leaned against the wall.

She stood up, looked into his eyes, and reached for his shirt buttons. He tried to help, but she took hold of his wrists and gently pushed them down to his sides. She returned her hands to his shirt, her fingers working on his buttons, slowing the pace with which she unbuttoned him.

_Damn buttons._ He wished he had only worn a t-shirt.

When she had all of the buttons undone, she pushed the shirt back over his shoulders and pulled him slightly towards her, letting his shirt fall to the floor.

He closed his eyes and decided to let her finish unwrapping him. No, that wasn't the right word. She was taking care of him, completely focused on his needs. His breathing grew heavier as the muscles in his back slowly relaxed. He felt her lift his t-shirt up and he raised his arms as she pulled it over his head.

He felt her breath on his neck and her tongue on his ear. He put his hand back against the wall to steady himself. He groaned when he could not feel her and opened his eyes.

She took his hand and led him to the bed, turning him around and gently pushing down on his shoulders to get him to sit. She grinned at him and gave him a soft nudge backwards. Moving to the side of the bed, she slid a hand under his back and made a lifting motion. He did as she commanded and rolled over onto his stomach.

She climbed onto the bed and straddled him, her ass sitting on his. Her hands pressed down onto his back, and he felt her kissing his neck, her breasts brushing against his skin. She sat up and moved her hands across his back, kneading his muscles where she felt tight ribbons. He groaned and flinched with each spot she found. It was as if she was lifting weights off from him. His breathing softened and got shallower.

She lifted her leg, slid her hand under his chest, and pulled up. She wanted him to roll over again, this time onto his back. He tried to reach up to caress her, but she wasn't finished. He closed his eyes and relented. She lowered her leg and rested her chest on his. He felt her sweet breath as she kissed him again. He felt the wetness between her legs through his boxers as she playfully grinded against him. He wanted to take them off but waited, knowing she liked to control him. He just let his mind float as her kisses on his chest relaxed him.

Her kisses increased in passion and intensity. He looked up at her to see a mixture of both lustful want and emotional need in her eyes. There was a sense of urgency and desire in her as she stripped his boxers off of him and the two began moving together in perfect synchronicity, as if they had performed the act of lovemaking many, many times. Her lips seared when they came into contact with his; their tongues electrical sparks against each other as their combined passion built up inside of them. The feel of her sultry, sweaty body against his was pushing him past the point of no return as his hands roamed all over her, resulting in a very powerful moan emanating from deep within her. They held each other tightly as they reached the heights of ecstasy.

She collapsed on top of him and lay there for a few moments. She looked at him and gave a devilish smile as she brushed his hair away from his cobalt eyes. "Been a while, Johnny?"

Casey raised an eyebrow. "For you too, it seems."

She smiled at him. It was the sort of smile he saw Chuck and Sarah give each other many times. And now he understood why they did.

She gave him an amorous kiss, sliding her hands all over his body. Her eyes widened a bit.

"Mmmm, someone hasn't lost his stamina," she said with an impish grin as she started kissing him again for Round 2.

_**The Courtyard**_

"Thanks for the ride."

Sarah smiled at Mortensen as she got out of his car; a truly uninspired heap of CIA-issued transport. She preferred her Porsche over Casey's Vic, but even the Vic had more style than the Ford POS Mortensen drove. She gave the car's door a push and tapped the roof. She watched as he drove off and then turned in towards the courtyard.

She saw the stray chalk mark about a foot from the floor just inside the archway. She kicked it lightly with her right foot, smudging it away. _When did he get a chance to do that? _She continued her way into the courtyard towards Casey's apartment and grabbed the hose from the caddy and pulled out a few feet. Sarah gave the flowers by the door to her apartment a good soaking then dropped the hose. She walked over to the caddy and cranked the hose back in. With her fingers, she squeezed the note into the palm of her hand.

She looked over at the Woodcomb's apartment and decided to test the waters with Morgan. She pulled her phone out and called Ellie. "Yeah, hi!" Ellie's voice sounded good and reassuring to her. "Still sitting vigil?" She looked down at her feet and listened to Ellie's update. "No, I understand. It'll be a few days at least." _My first kill was awful. _She shut her eyes tightly, as Ellie's picture of Morgan's well-being…or current lack thereof…was painful to envision. "Ellie, let him drink. At least he will have you and Alex to watch over him. If you push too hard, he'll still drink, you just won't see it." She smiled at Ellie's response, and then a frown came to her face as Ellie continued. _Oh, God. Friday dinners._ She brought her free hand up to her forehead and absently brushed a few errant strands of hair over her ear. With a slight grimace, she nodded at Ellie's suggestion. "You're right, we should postpone for a few days. I'll talk to you later."

Sarah hung up the phone, slid it back into her pocket, and dug out her keys. A moment later she was inside. She kicked the door shut with her heel and continued towards their bedroom as she slowly opened the note.

_Agreed, Mrs. B. Be strong._

Tears came to her eyes as she read those words. _He has compassion. I just wish he could talk to me in person._

_**Late evening - Chuck and Sarah's Apartment**_

Sarah reached for her towel. She had heard it. Someone was banging at the front door. She got out of the shower, grabbed her Browning 1911 and robe and made her way into the living room, pulling her arms through the sleeves of the robe. She stuck a finger through the blinds and took a peek.

_Carina!_

She smiled and opened the door. Carina stood there holding a super-sized bottle of Stoli.

"What the hell, Walker? How long were you going to make me wait out here?"

"Sorry, I was in the shower." She spied the bottle and sighed. "No, you can, but nothing for me." Pointing to the couch, she stepped aside to let Carina in and closed the door.

"What? Walker, this is for you as much as it is for me. Don't worry; Beckman has a dozen or so of her heavy hitters patrolling." She paused and assessed her friend. "Besides, you need this. You look like hell, sweetie, and I want to crack that valve a bit."

"Ugh," she grunted in frustration. "Okay."

Carina smiled; her 'assignment' became a lot easier than she thought it would be.

One dead bottle later, the tension was slowly ebbing, although neither of them thought they felt it. Sarah squeezed the last few drops into Carina's glass and then headed, in a decidedly crooked line, to the kitchen with a few stops for support from the walls. She returned with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It was meant as a gift for Casey. _I can get him another one, _she thought with a smile.

Carina watched Sarah as she came back in to the living room. "A little wobberwy… wobberlwy… Aw crap! Jus don' drop it, Walkie." Carina laughed uncontrollably while trying not to tip over on the couch.

"Jabberwho?" Sarah giggled in a most unspy-like fashion and almost collided with the couch. She made a left turn at last minute and used the back of the couch as a guide. "Never mind."

_Finally!_ "Sarah, time to fill me in. I want to know everything."

She knew what Carina meant. "Oh, no. Please." She sat down on the couch next to her, still clutching the bottle of scotch.

"You owe me. I saw some of that knife fight and Casey filled me in on a couple of details, but I want to hear it, all of it, from you."

"Knife fight? What are you talking about?" She was sobering up quickly.

Carina rolled her eyes. "This relationship you have with Chuck is epic. You two fooled no one. Even I saw through the bullshit. Remember? I gave you that little video. You never admitted to anything for over two years."

Carina took Sarah's hand and squeezed it, "'It's complicated' just doesn't cut it. Even Casey hated the way you two hurt each other." Her voice became stern as she made circles in the air with her. "Over and over."

Sarah gulped. She never realized how much what she did to Chuck affected those around them. "I can't." Her eyes welled up. "I was supposed to protect him. Even from the CIA." Her voiced cracked. "And I was afraid."

She started to sob and hit Carina repeatedly on the arm. "Oh, fuck you! Goddamnit, Carina! I've lost him!" And then she lost her façade completely as her sobs turned into a wailing cry.

Carina sat there for a split second, as she was completely jarred by seeing her best friend like this. _Shit, you really know how to twist a knife, Miller._

Carina leaned in and held her. "Okay. Sarah, you didn't lose him, we'll find him. However long it takes, I'll stay." _That's a big promise, _she thought before blocking it out. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against Sarah's. _Johnny needs this, too. _

She pulled away from Sarah and watched her. The wailing actually scared Carina. It was frightening to see her friend like this. Nothing ever fazed Walker. Sure enough, Sarah slowly recovered.

Carina grabbed the tissue box sitting on the coffee table and put it between them. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Sarah nodded slowly and let out a breath as she grabbed a tissue. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed. When she opened her eyes, Carina was staring at her and had her arms around her.

"Wow, I never thought you had something like that in you." Carina brushed Sarah's hair out of her face and smiled.

_Okay, stupid, get this to a happier time._

She smiled at Sarah. "Tell me when you first knew."

Sarah smiled, although tears still ran down her cheeks. "The day we met."

"Really? The nerd got to you that quickly?"

Sarah play-punched Carina a little harder than she intended.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry," Sarah replied. Had it been any other situation, she might have hit Carina even harder without remorse.

"S'okay," Carina replied as she rubbed her arm. "Go on, but start at the beginning," she prodded her friend. "Leave nothing out."

"Bryce stole the data from the Intersect computer and destroyed all the hardware. He was able to transmit it to Chuck before Casey shot him dead…or at least that's what we thought at the time. Bryce was roommates with Chuck at Stanford and figured he could trust Chuck with the information. We traced it out there, and I was sent to retrieve it." Sarah paused for a moment, shook her head, and smiled. "I thought it would be simple. Lonely guy like that, working at a computer desk. I just turn on the charm, and he'd be putty in my hands. I've never been so wrong in my life."

She wiped the last of her tears away and continued. "It felt like it was working. I played a damsel in distress with my cell phone, and he had to 'rescue' me. But not two minutes later…and I mean literally two minutes, Carina…he left me for a ballerina."

"Huh?"

Sarah gave a small laugh at Carina's puzzled look. "A very distraught father came up to the Nerd Herd counter with his daughter. She was all decked out for a dance recital. She was so adorable. He was supposed to film it, but he screwed up and was desperate. Of course, Chuck knew what to do. He rallied Morgan and the other nerds to help. They set up the Buy More as a one-girl show. One of them got the music ready, Anna had the camera, and Morgan patched in all of the monitors. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch, even the customers. But that poor little girl froze. She was nervous. Chuck smiled, walked over to the girl, and knelt down next her."

Another tear came to Sarah's eye, but the smile drawing itself across her face made Carina believe it was a happy memory. "I can close my eyes and picture that moment as if it just happened. He gave her one of his smiles and talked to her. I have no idea what he said, but I swear, her eyes never left Chuck. She got herself ready, Morgan started the music and she went through her entire routine. First take and she was perfect."

She shook her head. "He saved that little girl's day."

She choked up a bit, and Carina put a hand on Sarah's shoulder. Sarah regained her composure and continued. "And he has been saving the day ever since." Sarah let out a sigh. "God, I miss that smile."

Carina marveled and gave Sarah a big smile. "Yeah, I hate to admit it, but those smiles affect me, too."

Sarah frowned and gave Carina a glare.

"Oh, come off it, Walker!" She waggled a finger at Sarah. "He's yours, but if he wasn't I would definitely take a bite!" She laughed and kissed Sarah's forehead. "He was the only one to ever say no to me."

That made Sarah laugh. She wiped the last of the tears from her eyes.

Carina smirked. "So, when did the goof actually fall for you?"

She responded with a deep sigh. "I'm not really sure. Sure, he was attracted to me, but he never leered. He was very cute about it. He always told me how he felt." Sarah shook her head. "Talked about everything, more than I wanted to. I tried to explain to him we couldn't be together, but he'd just find another angle to chip away. He wore me out, and I'm not all that sure I didn't let him. I held him at arm's length for a long time. I…pushed him away. And then, idiot me, I get upset when he finds other women willing to be with him. Jill, Lou…well, almost Lou…and then Hannah. That got ugly."

_I am not going there, _Carina eyes narrowed a bit. "Oh, yeah. Hannah. That was around the time you started up with Shaw. What did you ever see in that guy?"

Sarah glared at her. "Everybody says that. It's obvious now, but in the beginning? Shaw was handsome, charming and a great spy. Casey hated him, but I thought it was because he was pushing Chuck to do things he wasn't ready for."

"He was obsessed with finding his wife's killer for five years." Carina stopped. "Listen, Casey told me a lot …"

"Carina, stop!" Sarah looked down at her shaking hands. She really didn't want to get into the red test debacle. _That was my fault. When he needed me most, I abandoned him. _She rubbed her hands against the robe, trying to still them. "Daniel Shaw was nothing more than a bed warmer."

Sarah hesitated a moment. "Chuck hurt me. Badly." She swallowed hard when she said that and looked into Carina's eyes. _She's the one who gave me that thumb drive._ "And I hurt him even more." _I acted like a stupid little girl. _"Carina, there are days when I wake up and watch him while he sleeps, and I am dumbfounded he even speaks to me, let alone be in love with me."

Sarah steeled herself. She knew she would have to get it all out at once, or it would never come out, "Chuck met Hannah on his first solo mission. They hit it off and were going to do some sightseeing in Paris, but Chuck was called back to Burbank. He offered her a job at the Buy More but didn't think she would take him up on it. A few days later, she shows up and starts working with Chuck. She wasn't there for the job; she was more interested in him. And once again, I held him at arm's length. Then to make it worse, Shaw decided to start putting the moves on me. Chuck broke up with me. He even gave me the 'let's be friends' thing. Chuck started dating Hannah, and I found comfort in Shaw." Her breathing started getting more rapid, and she closed her eyes to calm herself.

Carina stared at her friend, open-mouthed at, what was for Sarah, a long speech. She reached out a hand to Sarah's arm.

Sarah opened her eyes and gave a sorrowful smile. "Shaw was…convenient." She hated how it sounded, and it made her feel cheap. "But he was a spy and he understood what that meant. It was easier. Not that that's an excuse, it's just an explanation."

"Wow."

"What?"

"That was a lot more than I was asking for."

Sarah laughed quietly. "I never said all that out loud to anyone. It felt good to get it out of my system." She looked for the bottle. "Are you hiding the scotch?"

Carina pulled the bottle up from the floor and tilted the bottle as if to pour.

Sarah held out her glass as Carina poured. _Okay, now it's your turn, Miller,_ Sarah thought_. _

She looked straight ahead, took a sip, and turned to her friend with a playful smile as Carina started downing her shot. "Have you told John how you feel about him?"

Carina spat out her drink and glared at Sarah. Sarah had a big smile on her face.

"Hey, this stuff is expensive!" Sarah was starting to giggle, but Carina wasn't laughing. Suddenly Sarah was very lucid and even more wide-eyed.

"Are you serious? Have you fallen for the big ape?"

Carina shook her head and gave a Casey-like growl before looking at Sarah. She merely shrugged.

"Oh boy!" Sarah laughed hysterically and fell off the couch.

_**Dec 3, 2010 - **__**The Room**_

_They've changed the music. Thank God! _

"They've given you a number and taken away your name…"

_Oh, that's rich. 'Secret Agent Man'! Johnny Rivers! Someone has a sense of humor. John Drake. Patrick McGoohan._

_Wait, he did The Prisoner too. Drake resigns and they take him away to a strange land. The Village. Number 6. They wanted to find out if he had turned. His own people did it to him._

_Whoah, wait. Do they think I've turned? It makes sense in a twisted way. But, I didn't resign and I'm loyal to my country. Wait! What if they had heard Sarah and me talking? We were planning an exit strategy. We talked about taking care of Volkoff and getting my mother back. And then…_

He didn't dare smile or make any movement that might give himself away. His lucid moments were few and far between. He couldn't waste them. Things were tough enough as it was.

_Casey! He turned the surveillance back on and heard us. That son of a bitch!_

_**Mid-Morning - Echo Park**_

It took Sarah a few moments to realize she was awake and the phone was ringing. Her head was pounding and the damn phone was just too loud. She opened her left eye and groaned as she was blinded by the sun shining on her face.

_Where is that damn phone?_

She leaned over the side of the bed and saw Casey's face staring up at her. Three missed calls. Unfortunately, when she grabbed the phone, she hit the answer button.

Casey's voice boomed over the speaker. "WALKER! It's about time!"

"Ugh! Casey, what do you want?"

"Get over here. Beckman called; she has a lead on Chuck."

The headache was suddenly forgotten. Sarah flew out of bed, almost dropping her phone in the process. "Where are you?"

"At home. Coffee's a little old, but still hot. So drag that sorry ass of yours over here."

"Be right there," she hung up the phone and was halfway to the door before she realized she was wearing nothing more than a bra. She grabbed a cushion from the couch and ran back to the bedroom. "MORGAN!" she shouted. She grabbed a pair of sweats from the pile of clothes on top of the laundry hamper and shoved her legs into them. "MORGAN!"

Then she remembered. _Hannah. Morgan's with Alex._ It felt so weird. A few years ago, Sarah tolerated Morgan as a mild annoyance at best because he was Chuck's best friend. Now she wanted to hug him and comfort him for what he was going through.

She looked down at her feet to see half of the pant legs still curled up at her feet. _Chuck's sweats. Casey's gonna start with me on that. Ah, fuck him._ She grabbed a sweatshirt, which also belonged to Chuck. _UGH!_ But she relented in the name of speed and comfort. _So what? It feels good. _She put her legs on the bed and rolled up the cuffs. She pushed up the sweatshirt sleeves. It felt so weird she was a tall woman, yet Chuck was still eight inches taller than her. She felt like a small child playing dress-up. She smiled.

As quickly as the adrenaline rush got her up and about, it dissipated and her heart started to beat normally again. She bent down and her head exploded in pain. _Whoa! Aspirin. _She grabbed her sneakers, snatched her Browning 1911 from the nightstand, and staggered a bit as she headed to the bathroom.

She fumbled with the aspirin bottle, fighting the lid off and spilling most of the tablets on the floor. She managed to hold on to a dozen or so, tossed the bottle, crammed a bunch in her mouth, and ran out the front door towards Casey's, almost retching on putting so many aspirins in her mouth without any water. _Dry chewing aspirin is no way to start a day._

Casey poured a cup of fresh coffee for Sarah. He had a heart this morning, pouring in some milk and sugar, popped in a stirrer straw and headed to the front door. He opened it just as Sarah was about to bang on it with the butt of her gun.

She dropped her sneakers and grabbed the coffee, taking a tentative sip and looked at Casey. "Uh, Casey, this is perfect." She leaned forward to kiss him, her appreciation for his efforts outstripping decorum.

He moved back. "Walker, lady feelings. Beckman is waiting for a call back."

"Yeah, yeah, under control." She took another sip of the coffee. "Call her back, call her back," she implored like a little kid.

He tossed her his hairbrush and turned to page Beckman. He watched as Sarah juggled one too many things and held out his hand with a grunt. Sarah gave him the gun and coffee while she brushed her hair, all the while staring at Casey.

He gave her a 'now what?' grunt.

"You're being sweet. And it's scaring me."

"Agent Walker, while Casey's sweetness is admirable, could I get your and Colonel Casey's attention now?" Beckman's face was staring out at them from the monitor.

"Sorry. Yes, ma'am." She hurriedly tossed the hairbrush on the couch and grabbed her coffee back from Casey. Casey smirked and stuffed Sarah's gun in his belt.

_Coffee's her priority. Given everything going on, I can't blame her._

Beckman resumed. "We have some intel that suggests that Chuck is being held in a hospital in Barcelona. "

Sarah beamed. "Do we have anyone over there that can check?"

"No, I'm afraid not. They have an analyst who will assist, but she is not field ready. You two will head out immediately to investigate. I need not remind you that you will be on foreign soil, and though it may be friendly, please tread lightly." She paused and cocked an eyebrow. "Agent Walker, I trust you will find more suitable attire."

Sarah blushed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, and Sarah? Our prayers go with you." The monitor went dark.

"FINALLY! Something, somewhere!" screamed Sarah.

"Sarah."

"I gotta go pack."

"Sarah," Casey grabbed her arm.

"Huh? Sorry. What?"

"The General said 'suggests'. This is an investigation, not a rescue mission."

"I know, I know. I just couldn't take sitting on the bench anymore." _And I need a break from the hangovers._

Carina walked out into the living room with a towel around her hair and a towel wrapped around her body, although it looked like she found the smallest towel Casey had.

"Johnny, do I smell fresh coffee? I could use… oh, hey sweetie!" She had a vague sense of confessing something to her friend last night and felt a slight flush.

"Good morning, Carina." Sarah watched as Carina appeared to squirm a bit

"I'm going to get dressed," Carina responded flatly as she turned and walked out of the room.

Sarah looked over at Casey. He was silent, his eyes fixed on Carina as she left the room. "Make her a cup and refill mine," Sarah said as she handed Casey her cup and followed Carina. He barely held on to the cup as Sarah let go of it.

_Damn, I wish things were a little different._ "Carina?" She continued down the hallway to John's bedroom. The door was closed, and she was about to knock when she heard Carina inside.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Carina?" Sarah knocked on the door this time.

"Go away!"

Sarah was about to comply with her wishes when she heard Carina yell out from behind the door.

"No! Wait." The door opened. Carina grabbed Sarah by the arm, pulled her inside, and closed the door behind her. She had already removed the towel from her head and was rubbing her hair dry. "Listen to me. Not a word to Casey. I was drunk and said some stupid things to you last night. I know what he thinks of me, of my past. I just want things to stay the way they were."

Sarah was feeling a bit overwhelmed by how she could help her friend. She started to think what Chuck might do in this situation. "Carina..."

Carina looked at her in an almost frantic state but continued to get dressed. She dropped her towel and grabbed her bra. "Walker, I'm serious. Don't pull a 'Chuck' on me and try to make things right with Casey. Just let it be." She reached around behind her back to fasten her bra and started to pull on her panties. "Please."

_Ouch. Okay. Don't be Chuck, be a spy. _Sarah exhaled. "Fine, I won't say a thing. And don't you say anything, either. I need Casey's head to be clear on our mission."

Carina had her pants on and was about to pull her shirt over her head. She stopped and looked at Sarah. They stared at each for a few heartbeats. Carina now had her spy face on. _Good._ It was what Sarah needed to see.

"And I need you to do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Casey and I were just talking to Beckman. We have a lead to check out in Barcelona." Sarah hesitated, uncertain how to put what she wanted into words.

Carina looked happy at the news. "That's great. What do you need from me?"

"Watch my family."

"Watch your…" Carina was a bit confused. Then it dawned on her what Sarah meant, "Oh! Yeah, of course. You know I've got your back," she said with a smile for her friend.

She slipped into a pair of sneakers and bent down to tie them. Sarah watched Carina for a moment and almost envied her ability to shut off her emotions. She had already forgotten how to do that for the most part. She headed towards the bedroom door and had her hand on the knob when Carina placed her hand on the door to stop her.

Carina's spy face was gone and replaced with worry. Sarah looked into the eyes of Carina and swore she saw traces of fear from the lithe DEA agent.

"Is this what it's supposed to feel like?" Carina timidly asked. "My stomach is in knots."

Sarah gave Carina her best reassuring smile and hugged her. "Yeah, sometimes. But the good times make up for it." She gave Carina a kiss on the cheek. "And don't worry. I've got his back." Sarah opened the door and returned to the living room.

Carina stared at the door her best friend just exited. _Chuck is turning all of us into human beings._

15


	8. But you pick yourself up and keep going

**A/N: Posted 4/28**

If you get a chance, read the stories of my patient beta; **P.J. Murphy**, truly great stuff. Again my thanks to him.

The horrid block has abated, mostly. However, life is cruel. My boss insists that I work if I want to collect a paycheck. I hope to have Chapters 9 & 10 ready for beta over the weekend. Ken, I am looking at what I have in the can with an eye to your suggestions.

* * *

_**Dec 3, 2010**__** - Afternoon - **__**CIA HQ, **__**Langley, Virginia**_

"HOLY CRAP!"

Janice swiveled her chair around and ran over to Bart's cubicle, leaning down by his ear.

"Bart, they got Chuck," she whispered in a panic.

Bart leaned away from her with a frown. "What do you mean, 'they got Chuck'? Who got Chuck?"

She kneeled down. "Someone took Chuck." She held up her arms in exasperation and gestured with her hands. "A whole friggin' week ago, and I'm just finding out about this now."

"I can't imagine Brenda holding back any intel, let alone something that big! Are you sure about this?"

"This didn't come through the regular intel stream. It came from Beckman."

"She's correct, Mr. Michaels."

The smallish figure standing at the entrance to Bart's cubicle send a chill down both Janice's and Bart's backs. "Please come with me and collect the rest of your Nerd Herd."

Janice's mouth fell open. _She knows?_ She glanced back at Bart, who looked pale.

Beckman smiled. "Very little happens around here that I don't eventually hear about. Just get the others and meet me in Conference Room 4C." She started to leave but saw them hesitate. She turned back to them with narrowed eyes. "Now!"

"Yes ma'am." Both Bart and Janice quickly got up and doubled timed it behind the General.

"Damn, she moves fast," Janice whispered to Bart.

Bart pulled out his phone and called Brenda. It took a few rings for her to answer.

"Bart?" she sounded a bit confused. "I mean hi. Sorry, but why are you calling me on my cell?"

He tried to keep it to a whisper, but the fast pace and his excitement made it more than a little difficult. "They've taken Chuck!

Brenda almost dropped the handset. "What? Uh, wh.. when?" she sputtered. "I saw nothing."

"Beckman's pulling us into a conference room and wants all of us there. She knows about the Herd, so you better bring Christoph and Jamie. Room 4C." Without waiting, he hung up.

"Chuck? Damn." _The shit is going to hit the fan._

Jamie sat at the next desk and overheard Brenda saying 'Chuck'. He looked over. "Brenda, what happened?"

"Chuck was taken. That's all Bart told me." She paused. "And Beckman knows about us. About the Nerd Herd. She's pulling all of us into a meeting. Let's go."

Jamie groaned. "Christoph too?"

"Yeah. The whole Herd."

_**Conference Room**_

"Sit, people."

The five of them sat down at the large conference room table, each of them sharing the same sense of dread. _Chuck was taken on their watch._

Beckman stood at the head of the table. There was a large file storage box on the table next to her, and a security officer flanked her on each side.

She looked at her analysts with a frown. "The Nerd Herd? Really people? What on earth possessed you to treat this as some sort of childish game?"

Janice hung her head. The others stared at the General, afraid to speak. Janice lifted her head and looked the General squarely in the eye. "That's my fault, ma'am."

She crossed her arms and cocked an eye at Janice. "Are you sure?"

Janice looked over at Bart. "Yes, ma'am," she replied sheepishly.

"Very well. I am putting you are in charge of the Nerd Herd and you will report directly to me."

Janice did a double-take at that. Visions of cleaning out her desk had been going through her mind. "I'm... I'm afraid I don't understand."

"What's to understand? The intel this group has put together for Team Bartowski over the past few years has been nothing short of outstanding, and I expect that level of work to continue. You took responsibility for the actions of this group, so I am making that position official."

Janice took a quick look at the others and saw their support. "Yes ma'am."

"Consider this a war time promotion. You are no longer an analyst, you are now an Agent and will be required to carry your sidearm at all times."

"Yes ma'am."

The General turned her attention to Bart. "Mr. Michaels, can I assume that you have been keeping yourself current on the range?"

Bart smiled. "Of course, ma'am." He had little choice; he was trying to beat John Casey's record. Of course, Sarah Walker's scores made both of them look like they were shooting water pistols.

"Good. Your status as a field agent is hereby reactivated and you, too, will report directly to me. I'd like for you to provide support to Agent Timlin in her new role."

"Yes ma'am."

"Now, for the bad news. Agent Carrnichael was abducted one week ago today. I have had any and all mention of this and related activities blocked from the chatter, given our enemies employ the same means as the CIA to gather intel. So far, Team Bartowski has been unable to turn up any leads on our missing agent."

She put a hand on the file box. "This contains what we know to this point. With your extensive knowledge of the Intersect project, I am hoping you'll be able to uncover something that was missed. Now get to it."

Beckman exited the room with her usual crisp efficiency. The team looked at each other momentarily before tearing into the file box like it was a Christmas present. The number of people determined to find Chuck was steadily growing.

_**Dec 4, 2010 - Barcelona, Spain - El Prat International Airport**_

Their contact was Anna Navarro, a language analyst for the _Centro Nacional de Inteligencia_. She was an attractive local who had been recruited at the _Universitat de Barcelona_ as an undergraduate. She was selected to assist the Americans as a last resort; there were simply no field agents available.

Anna was quite nervous, as this was her first field assignment, but she was a little disappointed she was to be nothing more than a glorified tour guide. Her charges arrived at El Prat around three in the morning and were curbside a half-hour later. Anna spotted them immediately. She smoothed out her suit and approached them using, as previously agreed, civilian titles.

"Ms. Walker? Mr. Casey?"

"Good morning!" A thirteen-hour flight with an arrival in the middle of the night was not slowing Sarah down. "Call me Sarah, and this is John."

Casey merely nodded as he dragged the luggage cart to the curb. "Where's the car?"

"I'm just across the street, let me pull it around." Anna smiled and turned into the street, dropping her keys in the process. She bent down, and her skirt rode up a bit as she grabbed her keys and walked towards her car.

Casey followed her every move with appreciation. He wasn't one to leer, but he missed the darker Mediterranean women. He was tired of the beach bimbos back in California.

"I'm telling," Sarah whispered to John with a smile as she caught him eyeing Anna.

"Yeah yeah whatever, Walker." _What the hell is she babbling about now?_

Sarah just smirked.

The car was an older Audi 100LS, but at least it had plenty of room. Anna made the u-turn and pulled up beside Casey and Sarah, popped the trunk, and got out. "I suggest we get some breakfast before we go to the hospital. It was closed a few years ago and there is no electricity in the place so we might as well wait for daylight."

_**The Room**_

_Not possible. The old John Casey might have done something like this. Not my John Casey. Not the man who just found his daughter. I don't believe it. I can't believe it. He risked everything for me._

_Besides, I have my own personal Tara Chace out there looking out for me. _

_Hey stupid! You need a plan. You have to let them know. Let Sarah know you are still alive. _

_Bart's good at this stuff. What do we do now, buddy?_

_**Barcelona, Spain - A truck stop diner**_

Sarah fidgeted during the entire ride through the center of Barcelona and continued at the café. She stared out the window, leaving her food untouched and tried to will the sun to rise faster. Casey sat next to Sarah and peppered Anna with questions concerning her agency and any other intel she might be able to share.

Finally, he put forth the question he had been dying to ask. "How is it this intel just appeared? Our analysts heard nothing in the chatter, and then out of the blue we're told there might be something here in Barcelona."

"I have not been briefed on any of this." Anna looked away with a slight embarrassment. "I was told to meet you at the airport and escort you to the hospital. There is a security detail watching the facility but, as requested, no one has entered."

Casey sensed Sarah's increasing annoyance with the delay. "Let's go see what turns up at the hospital."

Sarah leaned in and lowered her voice. "We were followed."

Anna stiffened. Casey looked at Sarah. "What do you see?"

She carefully nodded to the parking lot. "That grey Citroen by the Ovomaltine truck was behind us at the airport and later had us boxed with that black Opel and grey Mercedes four rows back. I don't see anyone in the vehicles, so they will have to scramble to catch up. Shall we lose them or backtrack on them?"

Casey smiled at the thought of cracking a few heads, but his sense of professionalism won out. "Leave them be and we'll watch for them. We're not equipped to neutralize them." He peeled a few more bills than were needed and left them on the table. "We'll leave now."

They each slid out of their chairs and walked back out to Anna's car, making idle chatter like excited tourists. Anna started the car and pulled out. She made a quick right turn down a side street and then a left.

Anna glanced in the rearview mirror to see if they were being tailed before focusing her eyes forward. "I am going to pass those plate numbers to the CNI and see if anything pops up. Let me know if you catch sight of them." They drove in silence for a few moments. "I assume you were told not to bring your weapons. However, in that bag back there, you should find suitable replacements."

Sarah checked the bag and nodded. "A .45 and an M1911. Will this get you into trouble?"

"No. I was told to use my discretion. Please use yours."

Sarah handed the .45 to Casey and checked out the M1911 for herself. "Much better, I felt a little naked."

_**Unknown Medical Facility**_

Krang sat in Payne's office, drumming his fingers on the man's desktop and getting more irate the longer he was kept waiting.

Riordan Payne entered the office looking quite pleased with himself. "Sorry to keep you waiting, boss. There were a lot of last minute details to attend to for your visit today. Shall we?"

"That should all have been taken care of before I got here," Krang growled at the man. He got up out of his chair and moved towards the door. He waited for Payne to lead the way.

Payne sobered and nodded as he gestured towards the hallway. "The subject has been responding quite well to the program. His resistance has been much higher than we've seen in other subjects, but he seems to have accepted the planted memories."

"Yes, yes, I read all of this in the briefs." The exasperation in Krang's voice was quite evident.

"We should begin to see the subject provide us with new intel sometime next week. At that point, we will need to access your systems for verification."

"Very good. I'll get that setup before I leave today." Krang turned his head towards Payne. "And how is the subject being treated? He must suffer no permanent injuries. Either from his stay with us or from the treatments."

They stopped at the doorway to the observation room and entered.

"Understood. Are his partners being kept busy?"

"Quite busy. They're in Barcelona as we speak."

They watched as the subject was prepared in the next room for another session of memory insertions.

Payne already knew about the trip to Barcelona and had a little surprise ready for Sarah and Casey. _I still need this oaf for a few more days and then the CIA can have this Neanderthal back. What an idiot._

"Keep me up to date, Payne," Krang ordered as he turned to leave.

"Yes, sir." He waited a few minutes after Krang left the room. He closed the door, took out his phone, and made a call. "Is the facility ready? Good. We will be moving on the 8th."

_**Barcelona, Spain - An abandoned psychiatric hospital**_

The hospital was a small, two-story, concrete psychiatric facility with a capacity of less than three dozen. Like many small facilities, it had fallen on hard times and found it difficult to come up with the funding to keep its doors open. The sign in front of the building was obscured in graffiti, but the words _El_ _Hospital Psiquiátrico Infantil_ could still be made out.

Empty buildings quickly became inhabited by the lower classes of society and this one was no exception. Signs of habitation were evident throughout the building. Blankets were strung up against the walls with open fires burning in old oil drums. A living cliché. Even in the early hours on a cold winter day, the horrific odor of human waste was overwhelming.

A lone disheveled man walked slowly towards the trio of agents and quickly disappeared down a hallway when he spotted them.

Casey let out an 'I miss Burbank' grunt. "Let's move quickly. The smell is going to rob me of my breakfast."

Sarah took out a handkerchief and wrapped it across her face, covering her nose and mouth.

They moved forward to the end of the hall and found a staircase to the second floor. Oddly, they found some traces of previous trespassers but nothing indicating anyone had stayed too long. As they moved down the hallway that was directly over the path they took on the first floor, they checked each room. Casey signaled them to stop when they came across a room with a new padlock on its door. A small, wire glass window revealed an empty room with a single table. On the table was a small object and a slightly smaller object on top of it. The floor was covered with dust, disturbed by a single trail of footprints leading to and from the table.

Casey took out a pair of latex gloves from his yellow mesh forensics kit bag and handed the bag to Sarah. He puffed into the gloves and slid his hands into them.

"Casey, can you move any slower?"

"Walker, something about this smells. And I don't mean to this," he seethed quietly as he pointed to his nose. "Things look a little too staged."

Sarah noticed the lock and nodded. "OK. You might have something." She looked into the bag, removed the brush and powder, and held them out for her partner.

Casey puffed a little powder onto the brush and started looking for the little tell-tales to emerge. "Nothing." He grabbed the lock and gave it a tug. Even the padlock hasp bolted on the door was new and was not going to give. He pulled out a small crowbar from a pocket on his pants and ripped off the hasp. He took a step back and motioned to the women to step back. Casey rammed his foot against the door, kicking it in.

The concussive force of the explosion blew out the window on the far side of the room and knocked the agents back against the opposite wall in the hallway. Apart from some minor bruising, both physical and to their egos, the agents survived with just a ringing in their ears.

Sarah was the first to her feet with Casey close behind. He offered his hand to Anna and pulled her up. She stumbled a bit as she got to her feet, bumping into his chest and grasping his arms with her hands. She took a little long to pull back and appeared a little flustered.

Sarah watched the two of them and had a fleeting thought the Spanish woman had engineered the accidental bump. _Not bad, but he's taken._ She cleared her head and moved towards the room, stopping at the threshold and taking a look to each side as far as possible without actually entering the room. She took a quick look above the door on the inside and decided whatever could happen already had.

There wasn't much in the room for the explosion to have had an effect upon except the table; it had been blown across the room and was lying on its side against the wall. Her first few steps were tentative and then more strident as she approached the table and righted it. She looked for the objects that had been sitting on the table moments before and found the smaller one a few feet away. It was a wallet and looked familiar. It belonged to Chuck.

"Casey, when you two get untangled, could you bring your forensics bag in here?" Sarah called to her partner. She would have enjoyed teasing her partner if Chuck had been there. Now, she was just feeling mean.

"Real funny, Walker." He came into the room, still rubbing an ear with his finger. But he had heard the request for the forensics equipment.

He knelt down by the wallet and brushed it. There were no prints either inside or outside the wallet.

Sarah took the wallet and began to look through the pockets. Her hands began to tremble. Casey sensed what was going through her mind and put his arm around her, gently holding on to her for support. She looked up at John and willed her eyes to stay dry. When she looked back at the wallet a photo fell out and floated to the ground. It was a picture of her in her Wienerlicious uniform.

She knelt down to pick up the photo and noticed the writing on the back.

_Are we having fun yet?_ was written in an eerie scrawl. Sarah's fear from moments ago was turning into something else very quickly.

"I am going to burn that damn thing!" Sarah eyes narrowed. "They're screwing with us. The whole time, everything they've done is to screw with us."

"And with deadly results," Casey added.

"John," Anna called. "There's a small box over here."

The two agents walked over to where Anna was standing. Sarah pulled a knife seemingly out of nowhere, picked up the box, and slid the blade through the tape sealing the box. The knife disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. She carefully removed the lid. Inside, lying on a piece of cotton, was a finger that had been crudely removed from its owner.

Sarah maintained her composure for only a few seconds. Casey grabbed the box from her just as she took a step back and fell, landing on the ground with her legs splayed out.

Her eyes were quickly tearing up and she was starting to hyperventilate. "Th… They're cutting him up!" Her knife was out again as an inferno of rage coursed through her. "I'm gonna do some cutting of my own!"

Casey closed the box and jammed it into Anna's chest, who was barely able to hang on to it given its contents. Casey grabbed Sarah's arms.

"Get up, NOW!" he growled as he pulled her to a standing position.

Her partner's words broke through her anger-fueled haze instantly. _Oh crap! Hold it together, Walker._

He looked over at Anna. "Do you have a lab we can access?"

Anna blinked and stared at the box in her left hand. She held the box as far away from herself as possible.

"Anna!"

"Y... Yes," she stammered. "I made arrangements to process anything we found at any time."

"Good. Tell them we are coming in." Casey looked at Anna, whose gaze was frozen on the box in her hand. "Tell them now! And get that box into an evidence bag!"

He turned back to Sarah. "Like you said, they're screwing with us." _Damn, are we going to get the moron back in pieces? _

He pushed the thought from his mind. "Walker, let's confirm if that finger…" _Wrong direction to take._ "I've a thu… memory stick with Chuck's prints and DNA information. We'll do a comparison against that. Okay?"

He could see Sarah was already trying to push the same 'pieces' of thought to the back of her mind, the muscles in her face relaxing.

Anna sealed the evidence bag. She pulled out her phone and hit a speed dial number she programmed. "Miguel? _Estarem allà en deu minuts, amb mostres per a les proves._" She looked back at Casey and saw the quizzical look on his face. She covered the mouthpiece and smiled. "Catalan. I told them we would be there in ten minutes."

She turned back to her phone. "Gracias," she told Miguel and hung up. "We should go now; traffic is already starting to pick up."

"¡Alto! Halt!" Three heavily armed men in identical black cargo pants and flak jackets were approaching, weapons drawn and aimed at the agents. The man who ordered them to stop held out his credentials.

Casey and Sarah already had their weapons drawn. "_Agent de Navarro! Centro Nacional de Inteligencia!"_ Anna called out while holding up her ID.

"_Aquests són els nord-americans_?"

"_Sí. __Ells estan amb mi._"

The three armed men lowered their weapons and one of them spoke with a faint accent. "Welcome to Barcelona." He held out his hand towards the Americans.

Both Casey and Sarah slowly lowered their weapons and in turn took the proffered hand. Anna made the introductions, pointing to the apparent leader of the Spanish troops. "Tinent or Lieutenant Roberto Arnaldo." "Lieutenant, this is Special Agent Sarah Walker and Colonel John Casey."

There seemed to be a momentary flash of recognition at the names by the Lieutenant, but he said nothing. "We came in when we heard the explosion. Any injuries?" the Lieutenant asked.

"None. But we need to get to the forensics lab," Anna informed him.

As they walked towards the stairs, Casey fell behind to walk alongside Roberto. He gave a slight tug at the man's sleeve. "Roberto, any chance you're related to Juan Diego?"

Roberto's eyebrows shot up and a small smile spread on his lips. "Yes. A distant cousin, but in Spain, our family ties are closer, even to the extended ones." He paused, deciding to let the man in on the family 'secret'. "And I did recognize your names. You are the partners of an Agent Carmichael, are you not?"

Casey's brow scrunched a bit as he responded with a slight hesitation. "Yes." _What about Chuck?_

Roberto smiled a little more broadly. "It was because of your partner that my cousin began a dialog between ETA and the Spanish government. He was not trusted at first, by either side. But he eventually made headway. Have you not heard this news in America?"

_That moron will never cease to amaze me. _"Yes, actually. It was something Juan Diego said he prayed for. He had gotten tired of running."

_**Burbank - Buy More**_

A young man in his mid-twenties stood a few feet from the Nerd Herd counter and looked throughout the store. He appeared to be lost or perhaps was looking for someone. Given the man was of the wrong gender, Lester ignored him…until he couldn't, as the 'lost' man had finally approached the counter and waved his hand to get Lester's attention.

"Excuse me. I was hoping you could help me out. I am looking for a woman…"

"Aren't we all?" Jeff drooled as he suddenly appeared next to his partner in crime.

The man looked confused and a bit frightened by Jeff before turning back to Lester. "No, I mean I am looking for a woman who might work here. About 5'4", mid-length brown hair. I'm asking because I ran into her in Echo Park and she dropped her address book."

"Who still uses an address book?" asked Lester.

"I do," Jeff answered.

Lester looked at him with disbelief. "Yeah, your book is filled with people who call when the phone doesn't ring."

"Hey, they have reason to contact me. But modern technology is holding them back."

The man grew nervous talking to the two behind the counter. "Is there a manager I could speak to?"

"Well, you could try Big Mike over there, once he comes out of his sugar coma," Lester quipped.

"Hmmm. Does a Chuck Bartowski work here?"

Lester's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that name?"

"His name is in the book and it says 'Buy More' under it."

Big Mike walked up behind the man, having heard Chuck's name mentioned. "Can I help you, sir?"

"He wants our women folk," Jeff offered.

Big Mike had a pained look on his face and gently steered the man away from the Buy Morons. "Pay no attention to those two. Come with me."

The man eagerly followed. "Thank you, I wasn't getting very far with them."

"Of course not, they're idiots. Are you a friend of Chuck's?"

"No, actually, I am looking for a woman I ran into in Echo Park. She dropped her address book and I was hoping to return it her. She seemed very upset about something."

"I see. And how do you know Chuck Bartowski?"

"I don't. But his name is in this book." He held it up to show Big Mike.

They entered Morgan's office, and he gestured to the man to sit. "Could you describe the woman?"

"She looked to be my age, mid-length brown hair, about 5'4", quite slim. Very pretty."

"Hmmm… Sounds like Hannah. I think I have her old employee ID." He opened a drawer and brought out a stack of ID cards. He pulled one out. "Ah, here we go." He turned the card around, covering the name with a finger as he showed the picture to the man. "Is this her?"

"That's her! Would you give this to her? Oh, and here is my business card. I'd like to know if she's feeling better."

Big Mike took the book and the card, putting them with Hannah's ID card back in the drawer. "Well, she doesn't work here anymore, but I will let Chuck know. He seems to know everything about what goes on around here, but he's on vacation at the moment. I'll speak with him as soon as he gets back."

The man looked a bit disappointed but smiled nonetheless. "Thanks." He got up to leave, but stopped and turned back to Mike. "She seemed quite beside herself. I hope things work out for her." He turned and left the office.

Big Mike watched the man leave and shook his head. _What did Chuck do to that poor girl? The Nerd Herd was not very happy with him. _In Mike's book, that was the only black mark next to Chuck's name.

**Noon - Barcelona - Forensics lab of **_**Centro Nacional de Inteligencia**_

As guests of the Spanish government, Agent Walker and Colonel Casey were allowed into the facility but not the lab itself. Anna assured them that she would provide all the necessary chain of evidence documention as needed. Casey was reluctant to have his thumb drive out of his possesion, so Anna provided him with a laptop, and he made copies of the needed files.

The two American agents paced the halls as they waited for the results. Lt. Arnaldo had left his men at the hospital and joined the Americans to provide additional support. He stood at the end of the hall, his body language making it clear that anyone else trying to come near the Americans or the lab would have to deal with him first.

Anna emerged from the lab with a smile. "The print taken from the finger does not match the prints you provided."

Both Casey and Sarah exhaled in relief and even broke out in smiles. Sarah looked at Casey and caught his grin. It was huge. _It must really hurt when he does that,_ she jokingly thought.

"The technician is running the DNA sequencer, but it takes quite a few hours to complete. Not everyone is in the database, so a match is unlikely. However, it should provide us with with a profile of the owner."

Sarah thanked Anna. "It looks like this was all a wild goose chase. Someone wanted us out of Burbank."

"I'd have to agree, Agent Walker. Where to now?"

"Home. Our flight isn't until later tonight. Have you had a chance to run the plates of the cars that tailed us to the diner?"

"Ah yes, sorry. Two of the vehicles were reported stolen and have been found abandoned. The third one appears to have been innocent. A coincidence. However, we will be keeping an eye on the owner."

Anna looked over at the Lieutenant speaking with Casey and turned back to Sarah. "He must be very important to you."

"Who, Casey? Yeah, we're partners." Sarah allowed herself a half-smile. "And friends." But she knew to whom Anna referred.

"I see that. But no," she smiled, not letting Sarah get away with that. "I meant Agent Bartowski."

Sarah grimaced and cursed herself. She was wearing her heart on her sleeve. Sarah discovered long ago being a spy was infinitely more difficult since falling in love with Chuck. He brought back the human being that used to occupy Sarah Walker's body. But she would never even think of going back and changing it.

Anna realized in an instant the shame she'd cause Sarah to feel. "We are only human. When I saw that finger, I thought the same thing as you and your partner." She paused and smiled as she sized Sarah up. "You are truly an amazing woman, Sarah. I know I could not have kept myself as cool as you have."

"But I feel like I'm falling apart and putting it on full display."

She reached a hand out to Sarah. "Perhaps. But you pick yourself up and keep going. I am just sorry that we were not successful. _Molta sort_. Good luck."

Sarah smiled. "Gràcies."

_**Dec 5, 2010 - Flight to LAX**_

She heard Casey groan and she opened her eyes. Sarah looked to her left at her partner and nudged him gently. "Casey, wake up! You're having a nightmare."

His eyes bolted open and stared straight ahead. His breathing was still harsh. "Walker."

"Yeah. You were having a nightmare."

"I was." It was a statement. "Thanks." He stared straight ahead.

"About Chuck?" She returned her gaze to the back of the chair in front of her.

He didn't respond.

"I have them, too." She felt for his hand with the tip of her finger and found it. Under normal circumstances, Casey would have pushed her hand away. This time, he gripped it tightly.

…

Sarah realized she must have fallen asleep, as the skid of the plane's wheels on the runway jarred her awake. At some point during the flight she had pulled her legs under her and leaned her head against Casey's shoulder. He stared straight forward but was still holding her hand. The man had his moments of compassion.

"You snore," Casey said with a raised eyebrow. Like Mr. Spock, it was his way of showing humor.

"I don't snore," Sarah protested with a grin, as Chuck would disagree with that_. _"And you're lumpy." She was exhausted and couldn't wait to get home and a proper bed.

She leaned up to his ear and kept her voice to a whisper. "Coming out of customs, I'll take a ten-step lead and we'll reschedule the courtyard."

He gave an actual response, a whisper instead of a grunt. "Yes, Mrs. B."

_**The Room**_

Chuck woke with a start. The room was dark, but he could hear someone behind him.

"Who's there?"

He couldn't turn his head. He tried to lift his arms, but the restraints held him firmly in the chair. There was no response, just the smell of garlic and mint. _No, not mint_, he thought. _That stuff you use on stiff joints._

He heard someone breathing behind him, and then a sharp prick at his neck followed by a sensation of heat. "Not again."

The light above him came on and Chuck closed his eyes against the glare. Even closed, the brightness hurt his eyes.

"Mr. Bartowski."

He blinked then opened a single eye. Through the brightness, he made out the form of a man. It was an orderly or a doctor. "Yes?"

"Whom do you work for?"

"I work at the Buy More."

"Very funny, but I want the truth. We know you've been a CIA operative for the last twenty years. Your handlers alerted us to your disappearance."

"Twenty years? Try four. How old do you think I am?" _Oops. Oops? Crap!_

"You are 50 years old."

"That's impossible!"

The man in the white coat held up a mirror in front of Chuck's face.

Chuck stared at a face that did not look familiar. He could see the chair he was in, the restraints across his arms and chest. The face in the mirror seemed to make the same motions he made with his smile and his eyes. "No. That can't be. He is too old!"

"Yes." The man nodded. "That is you."

Chuck could feel the drugs taking effect. His eyes began to droop as the darkness descended on his consciousness.

_**Burbank - Chuck and Sarah's Apartment**_

She opened the door to the apartment and wanted to cry. She shut this part out of her mind for as long as she could, but now she had no choice but to face it. The apartment was dead silent. She closed the door behind her and dropped her bags where she stood. Her legs felt like lead, barely moving at her command. She made her way to their bedroom, stripping as she walked, not caring about the trail she left behind her. _Shower. Sleep_. Although she wasn't sure if would be in that order.

The bathroom was to the left, across from the bedroom. She decided on a shower first, for no other reason than it would delay her having to look at their empty bed. As the water streamed out from the showerhead, she laid both hands on the far wall of the stall. Her eyes were closed and she stood motionless, waiting for the steam to come up. She gave up waiting and stepped in, moving her hands to the wall beneath the showerhead and let the water pound on her neck and back. It ran down the sides of her head, wetting her hair, dragging it down and in front of her face.

She didn't feel the cold of the water nor its increasing heat. Someone, somewhere, seemed to be controlling her arms, making them move the soap across her skin. _Hair. _She knew it reeked and it would have to be washed. She didn't want to ruin the remnants of Chuck's smell in their bed. She couldn't remember reaching for the shampoo, but she smelled the strawberries. It wasn't her usual vanilla, but as tired as she was, she could feel the arousal between her legs and her knees weakened. The last thing Chuck and she did was feed each other strawberries dipped in chocolate. At least, that's how it started. Then Chuck decided he'd rather eat the chocolate off of her instead of the strawberries, and the night just got better from there.

Sarah twisted the showerhead to a massage setting and pointed it towards the back of the tub at the bottom and slowly lowered herself until she was in a sitting position. She spread her legs so the water hit her heat. She closed her eyes and thought of Chuck. Her breathing got heavier to the point where the water was not enough. Her fingers started moving over her as she thought about some of the more erotic encounters she had with Chuck…their first kiss in the warehouse, his hot, romantic kiss in front of Roan, that morning in the hotel in Paris…and she kept massaging herself until it brought her over the edge.

All of that effort didn't have the desired effect. It had the opposite effect.

She brought her arms up and rested them on the edges of the tub as she broke down in a wailing cry. She missed Chuck, but she was becoming more afraid of the possibility of never seeing…

Sarah leaned her head back until she felt the cold of the tile on the wall behind her. She willed herself into putting those thoughts completely out of her mind. Her body was still shaking, but the tears had stopped flowing. Her sense of fatigue returned to her, and she dragged herself out of the tub. The towel refused to stay wrapped around her hair, so she gave up and toweled the rest of herself dry as she headed to bed. Laying the towel on the pillow, she crawled into bed and pulled the blanket up to her neck. She felt for her Chuck, pulling him up to her chest and breathed him in. She was asleep within minutes.

###

"_I'll jump first."_

"_Nope."_

"_Then you jump first."_

"_No, I said!"_

"_What's the matter with you?"_

"_I can't swim!"_

"_Why, you crazy…the fall will probably kill ya! Jump!" he said._

_Of course, she knew how to swim. And he knew she knew._

_He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Together they ran to the end of the dock and jumped into the lake. He was screaming his head off, and she was laughing hysterically. They hit the water at the same time and went down under the surface until they reached the bottom. _

_The water was so murky she could see nothing._

_She heard his voice calling out her name. "Sarah!"_

"_Where are you?"_

"_I don't know, yet."_

###

_**Dec 6, 2010 - Early morning - Courtyard**_

He had finished his regular morning routine and slipped out the door as quietly as he could. Carina had kept him up well into the early hours, but he still wanted to check in on Morgan. He took a quick glance at Sarah's apartment and noticed the hose caddy had been turned 90 degrees towards his apartment. He 'decided' the plants needed a little watering and retrieved Mrs. B.'s note as he took the hose. He left the hose lying on the ground and headed over to Ellie's.

He knocked on the door and waited while the note burned a hole in his pocket. He listened and heard nothing. He knocked again. "Ellie? You home?"

Devon appeared shirtless at the door. "Hey John, come on in." He had already been working out and was wiping himself off with a towel.

"Good morning, Devon."

"Sorry about that. I was stretching the old back and Ellie is in the bathroom. Oh! And get this," Devon beamed while flashing a broad smile. "Alex actually got Morgan to go out this morning for breakfast. He didn't have a drop last night."

Casey's posture relaxed. "Do you think he would 'freak out' if I paid him a visit later?"

"Why don't you speak with Ellie?"

John's face got a little longer. _He's not ready._

Devon immediately realized what John was thinking. "No, no, no. He is doing much better, but Ellie's the one that has been coaxing him out. She and Alex both." He studied John for second then gave him a tap on the chest with the back of his hand. "Come on, bro! Let me get you an Alfalfa wheat germ seaweed shake. It will do your colon wonders!"

_I'm gonna be one sick grunt._ "Coffee?" he asked hopefully.

Devon smiled, "Sure. Let's get you awake first." He turned around and headed towards the kitchen.

John took the note from his pocket and unfolded it.

_Bacon, 8_

He looked at his watch and saw he had ten minutes before he had to head out. It was a twenty-minute drive and it was already seven-thirty. He made his way into the kitchen.

_**An Office at an unknown location**_

He read through his dailies and became a little agitated. "Where the hell is that woman?" He was fairly certain she had taken out Hoover. But she had been AWOL since the beginning of the month and his people had heard nothing in the chatter.

Krang took out his phone. _At least some things were going as planned._ He made the call. "Has the 'evidence' been installed? Very good, prepare Heidelberg."

_**Unknown Medical Facility**_

Payne's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID: _Unknown_.

"Yes?" Payne smiled at the response he heard. "Very good. Keep me updated."

A diner just north of Burbank on the Interstate

Casey brought his Vic around to the rear of the diner and parked next to the semi, effectively blocking the sight of the Vic to any passersby. He leaned to his right, dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone and double-checked it; the battery was missing. In his other pocket, he felt the battery. Good. He made sure his gun was loaded and the safety was locked in place. Satisfied he was ready, he opened the door, got out, and headed into the diner.

The blonde he was looking for was already sitting in a booth at the far end of the diner. Both publicly-accessible entrances as well as the kitchen were clearly visible from her vantage point, and a wall was behind her. He eyed a waitress taking an order at the next table, so he had to make this look innocent. He slid into the seat next to her, leaned towards her, and gave her a quick cover kiss.

"Sarah."

"John."

She looked over at the waitress, smiled, and held up two fingers. "Two coffees, please." She turned back to Casey as the waitress went to get their coffee. "Thanks for meeting me here."

John nodded.

"I don't trust anyone and I needed to give you a heads-up. I've gone through every mission brief and checked our detention facilities. It took a long time to do that without raising any alerts. Everyone is accounted for except him," she said quietly as she slid a folder towards John.

Sarah caught the waitress returning out of her peripheral vision. With a slight tell for John's sake, she slipped back into her cover. "I've already served him with the divorce papers, so it'll just be a few more days."

"Here you go." The waitress leaned over the table and placed two mugs on the table along with a small metal milk pitcher. "Have you folks decided what you'd like to eat?" She stood and waited, pad in hand, and reached for the pen in her hair.

John laid his hands on the folder and looked up at her with a smile. "An English muffin with butter on the side would be fine."

"The same for me. Could you see if they have anything other than grape jelly? Orange would be really nice!"

"Sure thing, hon." _That'll be less than a buck tipped and an endless stream of coffee, _she thought, although she held her frown until she had turned away from the two 'lovers'.

John opened the folder as he watched their waitress walk away. He put a smile on his face for the cover, but his mood was anything but when he saw the picture.

"Riordan Payne was removed from his cell over nine months ago," Sarah said while keeping an eye out for anybody in listening range. "I haven't been able to determine where he was moved to or who authorized the move. However, there are only three people on my short list."

"Who?"

"General Beckman and Deputy Directors Krang and Winslow."

"You suspect Beckman?"

"As recently as nine months ago, she still entertained notions of putting Chuck into a bunker. Shaw or no Shaw, she knew I would never have allowed that. But I doubt she would have allowed things to get so fucked."

"And the other two?"

"Winslow has voiced strong opposition to having U.S. intel in a single, difficult-to-secure source like Chuck. Krang has voiced similar objections."

Casey nodded in approval. Chuck may have softened some of her emotional edges, but her talents were as sharp as ever. "Impressive. How the hell did you do all this?"

"No sleep. And a friend."

"A friend? Care to fill me in?"

Sarah looked down at the table momentarily and clasped her hands. "John, I trust you completely. But I'd rather you be able to deny any knowledge of my source." She looked up and stared at Casey with a frightening resolve. "Look, this is not intel I'm going to blindly act on. It's intel I'll use to get to the next step."

Casey sat motionless except for his finger rubbing the edge of the folder. He had a sickening knot forming in his stomach as his mind realized where she was headed with this.

"I don't like her," he muttered under his breath. _Graham's wildcard enforcer._ He wanted Chuck to return as badly as anybody, but he didn't want to lose his best partner in the process. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Don't do it, Sarah. I don't like you becoming 'her'. That's not you, and it never should have been. Don't go down that path."

She reached out and took John's hand. "Listen to me, John. I don't like what I become either. But I need to do this. I need to put everything away and do this. For Chuck. He's everything to me."

He face reflected his immense displeasure with her plan. Casey knew there was no way he was going to dissuade her, but that didn't mean he had to agree with it. He forced a growing growl back down.

"Damnit, John. I have to do this for the family. Four days. That's all I'm asking for."

Casey let out a harsh sigh. "Fine, just keep the body count down to a minimum."

He slid out of the booth, stood and stopped. He turned to Sarah, placed his hands on the table, and leveled his lips at her ear. "You make sure you come back. Or I'll come and drag your bony ass home. I am never having _that _conversation with Chuck."

He paused and looked at the ground. _Damn, I've been saying that a lot lately_. He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and put his forehead on her shoulder. He stood up and turned to leave. "Walker. Big tip." _Alex would approve._

Sarah's jaw dropped as she watched her partner leave. _He…he kissed me? John freakin' Casey? Mr. No Lady Feelings himself just kissed me?_

She raised her hand to the side of her head where John kissed her and felt moisture above it._ Was he crying? Nah._

_**The Courtyard**_

He took his phone out of his pocket and fumbled a bit with the battery in his other pocket, finally fishing it out. Casey's mood was quite foul. He knew Sarah could take care of herself, but what would come back from her mission worried him. He got the battery inserted and turned the phone back on. There were three missed calls: two from Mortensen and one from Carina. He headed towards his apartment and called Mortensen.

"Sir! The General has been trying to reach you," Mortensen said in a bit of panic, as he was unaccustomed to Casey not answering his phone.

"Did she say what it was about?" He was about to put his key in the lock when Carina opened the door for him. She didn't look too happy. He ignored the look and walked in. Carina closed the door and followed behind him towards the monitor.

"No, just that I was to find you."

"I'll get back to her in a moment." Casey looked back at Carina and held a hand out to her.

She took his hand and took a step closer to him. She looked as if she was about to forgive him for something. His mood seemed to lighten.

"Very well. I've spoken with your contact in Barcelona, she has some information for you, but she would rather speak to you directly."

He felt Carina's hand tighten slightly. "I'll come by Castle after I speak with Beckman." He hung up and turned to Carina.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just that I woke up in an empty bed. I'm used to being the one that leaves early," she replied. She wore her typical devilish smirk, which could mean anything, although the term 'screwing' usually applied in some way, shape, or form.

_I don't have time for this._ "Things change," he grunted before instantly regretting it. _Whoa! Way too harsh, Casey. Even for you._

Carina's eyes widened and her jaw dropped a bit. She was playing with him, but he was obviously distracted. "Hey, I was just teasing, I guess I should ask you 'are you okay'?"

Casey looked at her, still holding her hand, and blinked. He was already reminded why he didn't want Walker doing this. It wasn't the first time she forgot how many people cared about her these days.

"Carina, I'm gonna have to ask you to trust me. I can't tell you what's happening, but Walker's going off grid for a while."

_**Unknown Location**_

Wolf pulled out the burner phone and stared at it. The time for finesse was over. The simplest plans were usually the best: find them, bang them up and follow the trail. _I'll deal with the destruction later._

Wolf: _U there?_

It took a while, but there was finally a response. _*ping*_

Shepherd: _Y, as soon as i heard. we'll get him back_

Wolf: _thank u. congrats on the promotion_

Shepherd: _thanks_

Wolf: _I need info_

Shepherd: _go_

Wolf: _current home and work addresses for dd krang & winslow_

Shepherd: _will send, need time_

_**The Room**_

_NO!_

_I… I am the Intersect._

_My name is Charles Bartowski and I __**am**__ a spy._

_I work with Sarah Walker and John Casey._

_**Casey's Apartment**_

"Colonel Casey, just where is Agent Walker?"

Beckman's anger was not a shock to Casey, but it still didn't mean he felt like dealing with it. "She is not feeling well and asked me to meet with you. I can brief her later."

Her eyes narrowed. "Very well. Then we'll begin. Although I am a bit hesitant after the disappointment you had in Barcelona." She paused and stared at Casey.

"Ma'am?"

"Colonel," she started before pausing to clear her throat. "Perhaps I should have made this less formal. I can well imagine what this has done to Sarah." She seemed to scan Casey's living room from her side of the camera. "Believe it or not, we have new intel concerning Chuck. This time, it's Heidelberg."

"That's a little convenient, wouldn't you say?'

"Beyond belief. However, as idiotic as I feel telling you about it, I would hate to think we passed on it for fear of 'fool me twice'. I am going to make arrangements to have two agents take your place. The agents I have in mind fit the general descriptions for you and Sarah. Any objections?"

"Ma'am, are you asking me?"

"Of course I am! Look, I know I'm a hard-ass. It's my job to be. Damnit John, I want to get Chuck back, too. But not at the risk of losing you or Sarah. You two have big targets on your backs."

"Yes, ma'am. Go with your plans. I'll take the heat from Sarah, if it comes to that."

"I'll get right on it." She waited a second and then smiled. "Carina, thank you for all your help." The monitor went dark.

John let out a heavy breath of relief. Sarah's still safe. _Well, from Beckman's wrath, anyway._

"How the hell does she do that?" She stood from the chair placed behind the monitor where she thought Beckman couldn't see her and walked towards Casey.

He had a huge grin on his face. "It's classified. I could tell you, but then..."

She cut him off. "Don't even!" Carina grabbed his hand and gave him a hard kiss before dragging him off to the bedroom, feverishly removing his clothes in the process.


	9. Enough is enough

**A/N:** Posted 8/6/11

It appears that this story has been getting a bump in readership since I started my other story; Chuck vs. The Three Day Tour. I never intended to neglect this story, but TDT would just not leave me alone so I had to face it head on and write it. Now that the last three chapters are finished, except for a scene near the end, and are ready for beta, I can get back to this story. Most of it is finished and sits on my hard drive. I just need to buckle down and get cracking.

If you are expecting Charah fluff, you won't find it here. This is a substantially darker, spy story. Frankly, it was getting harder to work on it, due to the less than stellar response. I know I've made quite a few mistakes, which I think I am learning from, but I still like the story idea. As I work my way through the material and fix the more egregious issues, I hope to have a much better read for you. And yes, I do intend to complete it.

However, there is a clock ticking as RL looks to be a real bear, leaving little time to write near the end of August into September. Damn writer's block chewed up the time when I had it. Soon time will be lacking. So it goes.

Many thanks to **Patrick Murphy** for his beta work. He really can turn cruft into the readable.

* * *

_**Dec 7, 2010 - The Room**_

_I am the Intersect._

There was more conviction to his thinking.

_How long have I been down here? Down? Or is it up? _

Unfortunately, more conviction to his thinking meant contemplating different possibilities. _She's going to stop looking if she doesn't know I'm alive._

_How? It's getting harder to keep things straight._

They were doing things to him he couldn't really remember.

.

_**Burbank - Buy More**_

"CASEY!"

W_hy did I come in through the front doors?_

Casey gave a bit of a growl as walked in the other direction to avoid Big Mike. Nothing against the man himself, but he just wished the whole Buy More would sink into a hole and disappear. Permanently. Then he caught sight of the morons…otherwise known as Jeff and Lester…and immediately tried to change course. Casey chose the lesser of two evils and headed to Big Mike's office. Or rather, Morgan's office. Casey had tried to mentally block the fact that Morgan was his cover boss now…unsuccessfully.

"Mike, what can I do for you?"

"Have you seen Chuck?"

"No. I believe he's still on vacation."

Big Mike thought about that for a second. "Hmmm…do you know if he still speaks to Hannah?"

_Son of a bitch._ This was something Casey didn't anticipate. He tried to keep a casual tone. "I'm not sure. Is she trying to get a hold of Chuck?"

"Well, a few days ago, a young man came into the store looking for Chuck. Or more precisely, trying to find Hannah," Mike explained.

Internally, Casey's alarms were screaming. If his facial expression changed, Big Mike's demeanor indicated he hadn't picked up on it. He continued to listen as he entered the office behind Big Mike, closing the door behind him.

"He had an address book he claims was dropped by a woman in the park. When he looked through it, he found Chuck's name in it with the store's name. I showed the man Hannah's old employee ID and he recognized her." Big Mike worked his way around to the other side of the desk and sat down. He opened the top drawer and retrieved the ID, book, and card. He looked up at Casey and held out the address book and the man's business card.

Casey reached for the items and was surprised when Big Mike did not release them.

"John, what's going on?"

_Crap._ "Why, what do you mean? What happened?" He knew what was coming and decided to sit.

Big Mike sounded more authoritative than Casey ever heard. "There've been way too many odd goings on around here in the past few years. It all started when you showed up. And you are not Buy More material." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and looked intently into Casey's eyes. "You're a cop."

His eyebrows shot up. "What?" Casey instantly regretted reacting at all so he just stared at the man.

"You're a cop. I have enough of them in the family to tell." Casey held his stare.

Big Mike smiled. "I'm not a stupid man. A tad lazy perhaps, but not stupid. Look out there on the floor, John. Half of my crew looks like they would be more comfortable on the cover of GQ than working at the Buy More. And that just started a few months ago."

Casey stifled a grunt. He knew the rebuilt Buy More was simply a cover. Morgan had to point out it was working too well. Unfortunately, even after having the motley crew of morons who used to infest it return, it still wasn't a perfect cover.

Big Mike shook his head at Casey's silence and continued. "You. Sarah. Chuck. All cops." He brought his empty hand to his forehead at a realization. "Morgan as well?" He laughed. "That would make a lot of sense. That is one changed man. Let me guess; he's a rookie."

Big Mike studied Casey's reaction but got none. His eyes widened at another possibility dancing through his not-paranoid-enough mind. "Oh boy, I really stepped in it. You're a Fed." He paused a moment and lowered his voice. "Am I going to disappear?"

It was going to happen eventually. They all knew that Big Mike wasn't an idiot and it was their own fault. Casey almost let out a laugh as a small grin appeared on his lips. "No."

"Wait, you aren't all cops or I'm not going to disappear?" Big Mike was confused.

"No, you are not going to disappear. Yet." He bit down on his tongue; it was all Casey could do to not laugh out loud.

The large man gulped; the wish he had kept his mouth shut was quite visible on his face.

Now that he had Big Mike behind the proverbial 8-ball, Casey went in for the kill. "You're not going to disappear as long as you keep this to yourself."

He held out his hand for the address book. After a very long pause where Big Mike looked like he was on the borderline of soiling himself, Casey let him off the hook. "Mike, I was joking."

He looked at Casey as if he wasn't sure what part of what Casey said was a joke.

Fearing an endless loop but pleased the man would take only confusion away with him, Casey cleared his throat. "Well?" he asked as he snapped the fingers of his still outstretched hand.

Big Mike meekly handed over the address book along with the finder's business card.

Casey smiled, took the book, and stuffed it into his shirt's breast pocket. He got up and left with a nod to Big Mike. As he walked out of the Buy More, he decided to enter Castle through the back entrance. He was still chuckling to himself as he walked down the steps into Castle. Then he paused for a moment.

_I'm gonna burn in hell._

.

_**Castle**_

"How about some lunch, Mortensen? I'd like to spend a little time with you and catch up. Then I have some things to attend to at home."

"Hey, John. Lunch sounds good. But let me go and get it." He smirked at John. "I just hope I don't burst into flames when I hit the sunlight."

"Great. There's a really nice sandwich shop in the mall. There should be a menu in one of the drawers."

_Was it really three years ago?_ He wondered if she still had _that_ sandwich. Out of respect for Chuck and Sarah, he never went back into the store.

…

"That's the coroner's report." Mortensen slid it across the main conference table to Casey. "Obviously she was dead with the first shot, but I asked him to provide a full toxicology report." He finished half of his sandwich and wrapped the rest. "That is a fine sandwich. The owner is a sweet girl, but she gave me a very odd look when I ordered it." Mortensen studied Casey for a moment. "Something tells me you pulled a fast one."

"Yeah, funny story that, but I'll tell it later." He picked up the report and opened it. "What's the skinny on what was done to Hannah?"

"Her system had trace amounts of several dozen different drugs. Some of them were quite sophisticated designer drugs and I've already sent some blood samples to our labs for detailed analysis."

_Riordan Payne. Sarah might be right about him. He loved playing with drugs. _"What's the turnaround on those tests?"

"A few days, at least. As I said, some of the drugs were quite complicated."

"Okay. And on my way down here, Big Mike gave me this." He pulled out Hannah's address book and tossed it over to Mortensen. "We'll have to check out everyone in that book. I'm thinking of giving a list of people to the coverts upstairs and let them do the leg work."

.

_**Chuck and Sarah's Apartment**_

Sarah searched the room Chuck and she used as an office inch-by-inch for any surveillance gear that might have been missed. Only two pieces were found: a camera and a microphone. They were both disconnected, but she yanked them out of the wall anyway and brought them out to the living room. She was quite disappointed in herself that she had missed them on previous sweeps. Was she losing her edge?

She dragged in several easels she had borrowed from Castle and set them up in her impromptu ready room. Suspended from the ceiling in the center of the room was a three-foot length of string. With the exception of the window, there wasn't an empty space on the walls; pictures, mission briefs and psych evals formed an almost-perfect wallpaper. There were numerous notes, handwritten with a red Sharpie, pinned to several of the documents serving as updates to information she had acquired since Chuck was abducted.

Sitting with her back against the wall between the window and the door to the room, Sarah stared at the other three walls of the room. She knew every word by heart, down to the slightest minutiae, including her plans for the next four days. Her flight left later tonight with a touchdown in D.C. around seven in the morning. She closed her eyes and imagined each of the streets she would need to cover, the equipment she would need at each house, and when Krang, Winslow, or members of their families were due back at their respective homes.

She knew she was going to a dark place and was stalling.

The growling in her stomach had continued, unabated, for the past hour. She remembered Ellie had brought something over to her the night before. Her 'sister' was concerned Sarah was not eating right, as her normally bright eyes were dulled and somber. But it wasn't from a lack of food; it was from a lack of sleep. The empty bed haunted her and brought Sarah nightmares, each worse than the last.

Sarah begrudgingly answered her stomach and went out to the kitchen. Poking around in the refrigerator, she found Ellie's care package and tossed it in the microwave without a look. As the seconds ticked down, she carried six empty boxes from her bedroom to the ready room.

The timer signaled the food was done. She entered the kitchen carrying the sheaf of papers she was reading and, without looking away from the words on the page, she opened the microwave and pulled the container out. She gave it a quick touch with a finger; was satisfied it was warm and licked her finger clean. She resumed reading the briefs as she fished out a fork from a drawer. She sent her hip into the drawer to shut it, grabbed the container and carried it back to the bedroom.

"Everything?" she asked the empty room. Did she have everything she needed?

She put the plate down on the nightstand, the only piece of furniture left behind by the Woodcombs. Sarah hurried back to her bedroom and dug through her jewelry box. She found them hidden in a lower compartment. 'They' were the 'rings' they'd used on the train from Paris when they went undercover for that 'one last' mission. She laughed out loud at the name: Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Charles. From Texas.

"How y'all doing?" she asked her jewelry with her best Texan accent.

The rings were nothing more than cheap curtain rings, but they were worth more to her than everything else in the jewelry box. She kissed the two rings and slipped them both on her left hand and allowed herself a smile. She removed the charm bracelet she was wearing and carefully laid it inside the box.

She patted the lid. "I'll be back. But I have to bring someone home first."

She pulled a heavy duffel bag from her closet and hoisted it onto her shoulder. She picked up a roll of tape from the desk on her way out. And from the printer, she grabbed a waiting 8x10 of Chuck and headed back to the ready room. She spoke softly to it, almost as if he could hear.

"I need an angel to sit on my _other_ shoulder."

She closed the door behind her as she entered, moving to the center of the room and reached up to the string. Dropping the duffel bag, she stuck the picture between her lips and broke off a few pieces of tape, then secured the string to the back of Chuck's picture and let it hang freely. Slowly turning, the picture seemed to be taking in everything Sarah had done.

She knew the content of each item by heart, but was hoping for one of those Chuck moments where he saw the whole picture and found an answer.

_How does he do it? _The answer was here. It had to be.

Staring at the pictures, stuck one to an easel, she felt her level of frustration rising. Agent John Roberts. Hannah Rusk. Riordan Payne - most likely. DDs Krang and/or Winslow.

A finger twitched against a non-existent gun. Her left hand reached behind her back and pulled out a small blade. Eyes narrowing, she slowly took a step backwards.

_Screw what I promised Casey. _Another step backwards. _I am going to kill them all and leave their bodies to rot. _

The memory of seeing that finger in Barcelona came back to her. No matter that it turned out not to be Chuck's. She took another step backwards.

It hit her in the back of the head and then swung crazily outwards and then back into the side of her face. She flailed wildly at it with her knife, slicing at it. The bottom half of Chuck's face, cleanly cut from the picture, fluttered quickly to the floor.

"No!" she screamed out. She flung her knife at the wall, sticking it in a random spot. She dropped to her knees and scooped up the fallen piece. Her eyes were wet. "See, I told you I needed you."

How long would that angel on her shoulder hold sway? She allowed herself a moment to regain her composure and then stood up.

Sarah took one of the empty boxes she brought in and laid it on the floor by the door. Slowly she took each item off of the wall, read it for the last time, and placed it in the box. An hour later she had all evidence of what she had been doing secured and sealed in boxes.

.

_**The Room**_

He'd been following her for several hours now. He clung to the wall, using the darkness, keeping his target in view. Chuck thought he had trailed her without her knowing, but he must have slipped up. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes while cursing his ineptness. He knew better than this.

She was standing in front of the park bench under the street lamp when she bent down, pretending to pick up something she had dropped. Sarah felt for the gun in her coat pocket and pulled it out as she stood back up. She turned to face her pursuer.

He had his gun out and trained at her forehead. _A smaller target, but a kill shot._

She had her gun out and trained at his forehead. _A smaller target, but a kill shot._

He had his orders. His finger slowly squeezed back on the trigger. _Why can't I…_

His world turned a bright white.

.

_**Dec 8, 2010 – 5:00 AM - **__**Unknown Medical Facility**_

The final truck rumbled out of the parking lot carrying the last of the temporary medical facility's equipment. The sign across the side of the truck said _Intersect Systems_, but since it was a stolen truck, it wouldn't have mattered if anyone had witnessed its departure to the north.

Five minutes later, the truck headed for the Interstate. On the way, it passed the Burbank Buy More.

.

_**Payne's Medical Facility**_

Payne fumbled for the phone as it rang on the small table by the cot.

"Yes?" He rubbed his brow with the palm of free hand. "Good. Keep me up to date. We are in the new facility now and you can kick Krang loose." He listened for a bit. "That's great news."

_Both of them have been eliminated. Good. _"Fine, but I want the surveillance videos cleaned up for a visual confirmation."

.

_**7:00 AM - Washington, D.C. - **__**Dulles Airport**_

She slept in fits on the flight from Burbank. Her nightmares repeated, with minor variations, throughout the flight. But for the first time in her professional life, they scared her. Not just the nightmares themselves, but the memories of what Chuck had gone through for her. Mauser, Chuck's red test, Shaw in Paris. And the things she had done before Chuck. Things that, only now, shamed her.

How would Chuck react to what she might have to do? She told herself she was doing it for him, but that didn't allay her fears.

_I'd rather have you alive and not forgive me. But please, Chuck, please forgive me._

The plan was simple. She was going to case Winslow's and Krang's various residences, return under cover of night, and collect the evidence. Then drag whichever bastard was responsible back to Castle. This was not to be a killing spree, she told Casey. Four days is what she would need. She had a small plane waiting for her.

_For her plus one_, she hoped and prayed.

.

_**Afternoon - Courtyard**_

Ellie heard coughing come form the Courtyard and went to take a look. _Oh. My. God!_

Her eyes widened at the sight of Carina standing outside of John's apartment banging a small carpet against a wall. Carina was barefoot, her long, lean legs stretching forever up into a perfectly rounded ass covered by the shortest of shorts, the front pockets peeking out below where the old pair of jeans had been cut.

She had on an almost too tight white t-shirt. But could they ever be too tight? The bottom of the shirt was bunched and pulled through the top of the shirt. She was not wearing a bra and the sweat-laced cotton clung to the contours of her breasts.

Completing her incredible house cleaning fashion choices was a pair of rubber yellow dishwashing gloves. She wiped her reddish hair from her damp forehead with and exposed part of her arm as she turned to go back inside. Carina looked up and over at Ellie and smiled.

_I hate that woman_, Ellie thought to herself. She felt fat and bloated. And ashamed. Ashamed for feeling jealousy. For being fat and ugly, and God help her, for feeling aroused.

_That's a first,_ she thought and tried to shake it off. _Well, not quite a first._ She smirked. _It must be the hormones. Yeah, that's it. When in doubt, blame the hormones._

"Carina, got a minute?" she called over.

"Sure!" Carina struggled with and finally pulled a glove off, turned it inside-out and started on the other. "I'm almost finished here and I have coffee up. Decaf, by the way." She turned and walked back in John's apartment.

Ellie followed her in. "Decaf? Really? I thought all spies drank turbo-charged coffee." _Sarah certainly seems to_.

"I've already had quite a few pots of the regular stuff." Carina was at the sink washing her hands as Ellie entered. She flashed Ellie a huge smile. "You're looking good."

"You've got to be kidding!" Her eyes narrowed as her hatred for the woman seemed to double.

Frowning she looked at Chuck's sister. "What's the matter?" She grabbed a dish towel, dried her hands, and re-hung it to dry. She opened a cabinet door and brought out two mugs.

"Never mind. Let me ask you a question. Do you always wear that when you clean the house?" _I'll kill her if she doesn't know how she looks._

Carina blushed at the feeling of being caught. "I've never housecleaned before. Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?" She poured coffee into both mugs. "Milk?"

_ARGH! Never mind! Enough of this! _She exhaled sharply and found her normal speaking voice. "Yes, please." She pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and sat down. "Whew. My feet are killing me."

Placing a mug in front of Ellie, Carina pulled out another chair. "Give me your feet," she ordered while holding a hand out.

Ellie stared at her in stunned silence. _What the hell? This isn't the Carina Chuck and Sarah told me about._

"Ellie?" Carina prompted with her hand still extended.

"I don't think you want to touch these feet. They smell to high heaven!'

"Yeah," Carina responded sarcastically. "And I'm Martha Stewart."

_Oh, you are so going to die!_ Ellie couldn't help but think.

"Ellie, trust me; I've done far worse for the team. Besides, I don't exactly smell like roses myself at the moment. So give me those feet," Carina gave Ellie a mock angry face. "Or I swear I will shoot you." The movement of fingers of her outstretched hand said 'give'.

Ellie relented, kicked off her sandals, and lifted her feet, one at a time, into Carina's waiting hands. Carina shifted her weight and pulled Ellie's feet onto her lap and gently pressed her thumbs into the arches. She then ran those thumbs down to the balls of Ellie's feet.

Ellie closed her eyes and moaned in relief. "Oh damn! That's better than sex!"

They looked at each other and shared a knowing glance. "Nah," both said at the same time before cracking up.

Her calf muscles jerked periodically as Carina hit the right spots. "Did the CIA teach you how to do that?" Ellie inquired.

Carina laughed. "First off, I'm DEA, not CIA. And secondly no, they didn't teach me that. I come from a rather large working class family. We know sore feet."

They settled back into a comfortable silence with Ellie having forgotten her reason for being there. Not that she cared, given Carina's hands were working magic on her feet.

She didn't realize her eyes were closed until Carina interrupted her. "How's Morgan doing?"

Ellie exhaled. "Better. He was drinking an awful lot and not sleeping. The nightmares were starting to scare me."

"Sarah and I talked about him the other day," Carina confided. "Killing someone affects everyone differently, but booze usually helps those first couple of days. Although as a doctor, I'm sure you'd recommend against that. And then you have the problem of getting off the booze."

"Alex has been with him throughout this ordeal, and she has helped him recover." Ellie opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "He still doesn't want to see Sarah or John, but that might be guilt from what he said to them at the beach."

"It's good to hear Alex is having a positive effect on him."

"Yes." Ellie stared at the front window. She hesitated, since she was uncertain how to talk about what she really needed to say.

"Ellie, you wanted to talk to me about something?" Carina asked as she sensed Ellie's unease.

She picked up her mug and took a sip. "Hmm…yes, actually. Sarah filled me in on what you were doing. I just wanted to thank you for everything."

She smiled at Ellie. "I love that guy and I want to see him come home. I know what he means to Sarah and John."

"Are we secure here?"

Carina eyes went wide. "What do you mean? Safe?" _What has Sarah been teaching her?_

"I mean, is the surveillance on in this room?"

"John killed his and does regular sweeps. Why?"

"I'm worried about Sarah, and I don't know who else to talk to."

"Umm...the way I understand it, you're the team shrink. They all go to you." Carina rolled her eyes at her own gaffe. "Oh, yeah, then who would you go to?"

Ellie nodded smiled. "How is Sarah doing?"

Carina sat back in her chair and became lost in thought. The normal twinkle in her eyes faded. "She misses Chuck in an awful way. He kept her grounded, and now…I think she feels lost."

With a sad sigh Ellie nodded in agreement. She felt like she was standing in quick sand. This spy world of her brother was sucking her in deeper. What choice did she have, she would do anything for Chuck.

.

_**Dec 9, 2010 - **__**The Room**_

_Start small. Mr. Colt. _

Chuck smiled to himself._ I liked him. He had a sense of humor, but not exactly what you would call small. He was a mercenary, but it was never personal. _

_No, no, they will confuse that with the Intersect. It doesn't matter. I just need to cause chatter. Get someone's attention._

_Ah, smugglers. Peyman Alahi or Stavros Demetrios?_

_Diamonds are a girl's best friend. _He took delight at that thought.

_I never asked her. I kept waiting for the perfect moment_. He wanted to scream.

_Bart, please be listening. Help Sarah._

.

_**Dec 9, 2060 - **__**The Room**_

He awakened. Still tired. Still feeling old.

A baby cried outside. He smiled broadly. _Sarah!_ Not his Sarah, but his granddaughter. He remembered now.

"Sarah!"

"Yes, Grandpa?"

"Come to me!"

She moved towards the bed and reached for the chair. "Oh! Can I see my baby boy?" Sarah brightened and motioned for the nurse to bring the baby over. The nurse gently placed the baby in his arms as Sarah helped him to sit up.

"Aww, Charlie, why are you crying? Don't you like your great-grandpa?" The old man had a huge infectious smile, calming the baby immediately. The little boy began cooing. And the desire to smile spread to his granddaughter.

The old man turned to Sarah. "Did I ever tell you about your mother, Mary?"

"No, Grandpa. Tell me." Sarah sat on the bed, taking the baby in her arms.

He leaned back as the tears flowed unabated. Sarah leaned in and wiped his tears away. She gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead.

He sighed. "Mary cried a lot those first few months. Just like you. My Sarah, she just couldn't calm her." He stopped. He blinked. He tried to speak, but he faltered for a moment before he finally found his voice.

"Your Aunt Carina was such a troublemaker," he said with a gleam in his eye. It was water under the bridge now, of course. "She worked for the government, too, and she asked us for help to capture a drug smuggler. I think his name was Peyman Alahi."

Chuck looked down at his little great-grandson, smiled, and continued his story. "He was such a hairy guy; he looked like a Wookiee." He looked at his granddaughter. "Do you remember those movies?"

She smiled at him. "Of course! They just released another collector's edition with all nine episodes. They restored all the scenes Lucasfilm had to cut because of the anti-violence lobby. It looks so much better."

"I'd like to see them again." He looked at the small boy in his arms. "With Charlie, of course." The child was fast asleep. "I just don't know if I will be around long enough."

"Don't say that!" She stroked the old man's hair. "You were telling me about Alahi and his big diamond."

"Oh, yes, of course." He smiled as he continued. _But, I didn't mention the diamond yet, did I?_

.

_**Late Morning - Castle**_

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you. I'll let John and Sarah know immediately."

He hung up the phone and laid it down on his desk. The two stand-in agents were murdered in Heidelberg. The explosives eliminated virtually all-organic trace of the agents when they had entered the facility.

He thought about this development for a moment, the explosives seemed to suggest NSA involvement. And they, whoever they were, were still after Casey and Walker.

.

_**Early Afternoon – Washington, D.C.**_

It took a while for the phone at the other end to start ringing. The delay made Sarah a tad nervous, but she shook it off. _Assume they are listening to everything,_ she reminded herself.

"Ellie? Yeah, it's me." Sarah laughed into her phone. "I don't have much time, but I wanted to give you a heads-up. Tomorrow, you should be getting an overnight package. Could you prepare a psych eval on the person in that file?" She nodded. "A day or two. I'm collecting intel, nothing risky," she lied. "Okay, see you then."

Sarah squeezed her eyes shut after hanging up. She reflected back on the months since Chuck and she openly dated. Openly. They'd tried it her way for over two years with painful results. But once they promised to be open and honest with each other and the family, things worked so much better. Now, without Chuck, she was alone and slipping back into her old ways. She depended on Ellie for so much. So why was it so easy for her to lie to her 'sister'? She would have to fix that as soon as she got back.

Chuck would not be pleased to know what his sister had been up to in the months since they brought down the Ring. He blew a gasket when he found out Ellie would be read into the mission, albeit in a limited capacity providing medical assistance to the team. Chuck objected to the idea from the beginning but soon realized his sister and brother-in-law were safer not being kept in the dark. After all, as frightened as Ellie was, she showed she had the capacity for this business. Morgan, Devon, and she saved the team from Shaw on that desolate mountain road.

Since then, Casey had taken Devon and his daughter under his wing, teaching them the basics of spy craft, if for no other reason than to protect themselves. Alex spent all of her free time with her newfound father and made him proud. On the other side of the coin, Devon had very little time to spare because of his job but made the most of it when he could. It had become personal for him. His wife was expecting and he had to protect the family. And Morgan, bless his heart, learned his lessons well and helped with the training. Even Casey had to admit he'll make one hell of an analyst for the team. His technical training from Chuck had already put him ahead of Casey when it came to the computer, and it fell to him to provide Alex with the same training.

Much to Casey's chagrin, the amount of time those two spent together meant Morgan's relationship with Alex kept growing. So did the tension between father and boyfriend. Everyone worked on Casey's resolve until he finally caved. Well, that's how Casey saw it, anyway. But at least the relationship between the three was well-established and unambiguous.

_You break her heart; I break your everything._

Ellie made full use of her time in Castle since being part of the team. She studied the medical files on the team and was horrified by some of the injuries they sustained. She even confronted Sarah about what her baby brother had been exposed to, which caused a rift between them. But because Chuck was able to discuss more of his life with his sister, she began to understand the situation for what it was. Sarah was there to protect her brother from the world the Intersect brought down on him. Sarah didn't put Chuck in harm's way but used every skill she had to keep him from harm. Ellie and she grew closer once Ellie knew more about what was going on. The whole 'it's complicated' nonsense, as Ellie deemed it, wasn't nonsense at all. Sarah was just as broken as Chuck, and the two of them were growing and healing. Ellie never came out and said it, but with her help Sarah figured it out. Ellie was right; Sarah was a broken person for the longest time. And in many ways, she still was. But now she had a sister to share with and confide in.

Sarah was amazed at Ellie's ability to read a brief on a mark and come up with a strong psych eval. Obviously, her skills hadn't yet been used for a mission, but Sarah had given Ellie 'assignments' on adversaries they'd dealt with in the past and her evals were spot on. The last such assignment was a slightly-redacted file on Daniel Shaw. If Ellie had done her write-up when he first showed up a year ago, most of the mess she created with Shaw never would have happened. And Chuck would have been spared all that pain she caused him.

Hannah. Sarah exhaled slowly in frustration. She blamed herself for that. She pushed him into her arms. It never would have happened and that poor…yeah, that poor girl…would still be alive. And Morgan wouldn't hate her for what he had to do ten days ago.

Sarah shook her head. In all likelihood, there were would have been a different kind of mess. The price would have been paid one way or another. Somehow, things worked out for the best for both the country and her team. And, of course, for Chuck and her.

Ellie and Sarah still fought from time to time. The last time over her lost baby. And Sarah still hadn't told Chuck. And that started to eat at her.

.

_**The Room**_

Chuck chased his target down between the railroad tracks. He lost her for a moment in the darkness as they ran between the parked freight trains. He held his arm out, gun in hand, waiting to get his shot in.

She turned her head to see where he was. That was a mistake. She should have known by the sound of his footsteps on the gravel how close he was. She slipped and fell, the light from the station shone on her from between the cars.

He approached her, slowing down from a run to a walk, his gun still trained on her. He saw her reach for her gun, hidden at the bottom of her pant leg.

"Sarah, don't. It doesn't have to go this way."

She had her gun out and raised it towards him.

"If I bring you in, we can protect you. Think, damn it!"

He heard a shot ring out and his world went bright white.

.

_**Late Night - Winslow's Apartment**_

Completely covered in dark grey from head to toe, she was nothing more than a shadow under the night's full moon. She quickly made her way down the street. If she could get in and out without attracting attention, she could stave off a body count. She didn't care about the actual bodies; only the attention they would attract.

Getting in was easy. Chuck had taught her how to bypass the more advanced CIA security systems. Thank God Chuck ignored the warnings about hacking _company _equipment. It had become a hobby of sorts for him. Unless there were additional measures she failed to see, she would be able to observe the Deputy Director.

With each passing minute, she knew the chances of her being discovered increased. She told herself she didn't give a crap. If it came to it, she would end who ever tried to stop her.

An hour had passed since she got in and she found nothing of any value to her search. None of the addresses had turned up any useful intel on Chuck. But she had determined beyond a doubt Winslow was dirty. The man was selling secrets to the Chinese. Not what she was looking for, but that intel would magically turn up on Beckman's desk in the morning.

She heard a creak on the wood floors outside of Winslow's office. There was a hand on the doorknob turning it slowly. She quickly went to the closet and pulled the door closed behind her, leaving it open just a crack. She pulled out her handgun, its silencer already in place. Every muscle in her body tensed as she prepared for her imminent discovery.

The footsteps were getting closer. Someone was trying, and not very well, to quietly approach the closet door. And they would get a bullet for their troubles. She could hear breathing. Her finger was ready.

"Daddy?" A little girl's voice called out.

_Oh, fuck me! Don't…open…that…door!_

"Amanda! Get out of there this instant and get back to bed!" a woman's voice scolded. Sarah heard the little feet run out of the office, saw the light go out a few moments later and heard the office door being shut.

She listened for a few minutes, decided everything was clear, and opened the closet door. Sarah slowly made her way back to the window behind the desk, leaving the way she came in. Hopping over the railing of the veranda, she hit the ground and rolled, came back up on her feet, and ran towards the street. She kept running until her lungs were screaming at her. Her face was still covered and she pawed at the material, yanking it off of her head. She slowed down and finally stopped by a fence, hiding in its shadows.

She fell to her knees and threw up. _I could've killed that little girl._

.

_**Dec 10, 2010 – 2:00 AM – **__**CIA Headquarters, **__**Langley, Virginia**_

Bart was determined to be there the moment there was a shred of useable intel. The problem was, he didn't know what it would look like or where it would come from. He switched back to the chatter logs, waiting for the smallest piece of evidence of where Chuck might be. Brenda was asleep in the visitor's chair in his cube. Brenda and he had taken the night shift while Janice, Cristoph and Jamie took the day shift. Now he started to worry perhaps they were spread a bit thin. They weren't even sure there would be anything. What if they had already missed something?

"Come on, Chuck. Talk to me!" he yelled at his monitor. He was annoyed with himself as much as with Chuck. Bart hoped that Chuck would come up with that little bit of magic he always seemed to conjure on his missions. 'Thinking outside of the box' was an Agent Carmichael trademark.

He stood up and paced the halls just to stretch.

_Did we forget something? _

Bart stretched his arms over his head. He could still feel the reason he quit field work in his lower back.

_What the hell would I do? _

A bullet. It nagged.

_I'd assume that Team B went silent. And they have._

A hollow-tipped bullet.

_That would mean anything coming through, be it information requests or updates, would be unauthorized. Feed them anything. A name, a place, even the odd object. What?_

"Too bad it wasn't a tranq gun," he said to the empty hallway. _Alert triggers…did we add vacations?_

He walked back to his desk and checked through the triggers. He smirked. _I feel like a stalker. I know way too much about them. _He stopped._ Paris was close. Too close. _He put the thought out of his mind. _Ah…no Grand Canyon. _He added 'Grand Canyon' to the list. "What about Route 66? I'll add it and filter later," he muttered to himself. A few more keystrokes and he was finished.

Brenda stirred. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah, sorry. We didn't add their vacations to the triggers." He leaned over towards Brenda. "Nothing has popped up yet." He kissed the top of her head. "Feel like dinner?" He checked his watch. "At 3AM?"

"I'll put it together. When I get back, you can take a nap."

"No. I'm used to this. But, no more napping for you, either. You have to get your clock adjusted to the hours. They're gonna need us."

She nodded, yawned and walked off to the kitchen. Bart went back to staring at the screen. He was hoping something…anything…would kick in to help the team. But the frustration kept mounting.

_Chuck, I really need your help. I've gone through everything we ever talked about, but I can't think of anything new. We got lucky with Shaw._

He smiled. No one knew about his indiscretion, not even Brenda_. Brenda had put the pieces together but no one listened. _

A phone call to Chuck had changed everything.

.

_**Unknown Location**_

Shepherd_: wolf?_

Wolf_: y_

Shepherd_: anything?_

Wolf_: nothing_

Shepherd_: krang's ex has a place in la_

Wolf_: address_

.

_**The Room**_

There were a lot of things Chuck could not remember them doing to him. But the bright white flashes were painful and they left him with a feeling of great loss.

During his lucid moments, his resolve to kick at the side of the beast increased. Make them trip up and take a look, he told himself. Set off an alert. Anything to let his team know. He was in a deep dark hole and all he had was a pipe to the outside world to bang on.

But he felt like he was playing in the final inning, the bases were loaded and there were two outs. And he didn't know the score.

And he just realized that he really hated all these stupid analogies. Allegories? Metaphors?

_Next up, Karl Stromberg. Weapons Smuggler._

.

_**Dec 10, 2060 - **__**The Room**_

"Sarah!"

"Yes, Grandpa?"

"Come to me!"

"Did I ever tell you about your mother, Mary?"

"No, Grandpa, tell me." Sarah sat on the bed, taking the baby in her arms.

"Karl Stromberg. He was a weapons smuggler."

.

_**Late Night - Krang's Townhouse – Los Angeles**_

Sarah watched the house from across the street and wondered how the hell a DD for the CIA could afford a home that had to be worth at least several million. And why would he pick something surrounded by those who craved publicity? Then again, it did belong to his ex-wife.

Whatever. It would be on the market soon enough. The current owner wouldn't need it anymore.

Tonight, her tactics would be different. A few doors down from the house, Ellie's soccer-mom van was parked. It fit in well with the other cars on the street; more so than the team's surveillance van. The back sliding door was left open and the dome lights were turned off.

She stood on the other side of the street a few doors down and waited. And waited.

A dark limo pulled up in front of the house and DD Krang had the door open before his driver could get out. Sarah could hear him wishing the driver a good night just before he shoved the door closed. As the limo pulled away, she pulled her headgear down over her face, double-timed it across the street towards Krang and stopped a few yards behind him.

"Krang."

The beefy man turned around, looked at the diminutive ninja, and almost laughed. "Walker." Then he noticed the gun.

"Inside. Slowly." She made a flicking motion towards the van with her gun.

"You do realize you're in quite a bit of trouble, young lady?"

"Nowhere near the trouble you're in," Sarah replied evenly

"And whose word do you think they are going to take, that of a deputy director or a rogue agent that has fallen in love with her asset? Man, that sounds so cheesy, like an after school special. Kidnapping a federal official is a felony."

_Rogue? What does he know? How does he know? _"Indeed it is. What did you think you'd accomplish by taking Agent Carmichael?" _Keep talking, jackass. I beg you to keep talking._

"Agent Carmichael? Please. He's a CIA asset. Nothing more. I've merely appropriated him, just like I would a laptop or a helicopter."

"He's had full agent status for almost a year."

Krang's eyes flared. "Agent Walker, do you have any idea how dangerous that man is? I warned them! Time and again I told them the risks! I just needed to show them their folly."

Sarah smiled, "Casey, did you get all that?" She heard an affirmative grunt in her earpiece. She tucked her gun behind her and waited for the DD to move. Or for the DD's move. She hoped the latter.

"Don't insult me, Walker. I know you went off the reservation."

"Like I said, Deputy Director, get inside and do it slowly."

Krang started laughing again until he saw movement in the doorway of the van. "Colonel Casey." Casey steely glare bore holes in Krang, just like the Sig Sauer P226 in Casey's hand potentially could if Krang didn't get in the van. He nodded and started to move towards the van.

He then veered off to go after Sarah.

That was a mistake. He gave Sarah the 'just cause' she was hoping for; she delivered the strongest kick she could from a wind up. Krang fell to his knees howling in pain as he held his groin. She stepped back and delivered a roundhouse to the man's head, sending him sprawling. Krang fell to the ground unconscious with one hand holding his head and another over his groin.


	10. Do not get between a mother and her cub

**A/N:** Posted 8/28/11

Many thanks to **Patrick Murphy** for his beta work. I'd be truly lost without it.

If you are expecting Charah fluff, you won't find it here. This is a substantially darker, spy story. You might enjoy my other story, Chuck vs The Three Day Tour.

* * *

_**Dec 10, 2010 - **__**Late Night - LA / Krang's Townhouse**_

"How's that for an after school special?"

Sarah pulled her headgear off and stomped on Krang's hands, smashing them into the ground. Sarah moved behind him, took a running start and kicked the man in the small of the back. She then sent her booted heel down on the man's ear. "How about now? Cheesy enough for your tastes?"

Casey was stunned by the fury he saw on Sarah's face; she was going to stomp the man to death. Casey grabbed her by the arms and swung her up and away before she could deliver another kick to Krang's groin. "Walker, you promised to leave me something to play with. This is one toy you need to share."

Sarah shook Casey's arms off and walked a few steps away. She looked back towards Krang and saw an opening on Casey's flank and went for it. Casey grabbed her and held on. Sarah struggled to break free, but she wasn't getting away from someone twice as big as her putting the mother of all bear hugs on her.

"We need him alive, Sarah," Casey said dangerously before his posture loosened slightly. "For now. I promise, once we get what we need, I'll look the other way."

_Thank God she isn't coming at me,_ he thought_._ Having been on the receiving end of Sarah's skills in combat a couple of times, it still stunned him to this day how much ferocious energy came out of that lithe blonde.

Casey heard Krang move behind him. "Stay down," Casey growled. "Or I'll let Walker finish what she started."

"You're right." She was breathing heavily. "We still need him. Thank you."

She relaxed and Casey loosened his grip. Sarah took several cable ties out of her pocket and stepped towards Krang. She rolled him over onto his stomach, stuck her knee into his back and tried to bring his arms around to his back. He didn't resist; he was just too big.

"Damn, you are one big, fat traitor, aren't you?"

"Hold him, there are some chains in the car," Casey offered. He looked down towards Sarah and gave a quiet chuckle. "He'll still be breathing when I get back?"

"Can't make any promises, so you'd better hurry."

Sarah put more weight into her knee on Krang's back and was rewarded with a heavy grunt.

_**2:00 AM - Castle**_

"John," Mortensen acknowledged into his phone and then listened, a smile slowly growing on his face. "You're in luck. We have a vacancy and the coffee will be on."

He hung up, walked over towards the armory, and closed and locked the door. He continued down the main hallway and re-checked everything. The holding cell and interrogation room were both ready. He walked back into the kitchen area and turned the coffee maker on. He pulled three mugs out and set them on the counter.

He made his way back to his central station and killed all the monitors in Castle, leaving just his monitor on. It was the only one he would need for now.

Ellie's minivan appeared on the monitor as it pulled into a spot near the rear entrance to Castle. Mortensen pulled out his firearm and verified it was ready. He took a final scan across Castle and was satisfied that everything was in order.

The airlock cycled at the top of the stairs with the chained and bloodied hulk of the DD appearing at the top landing. Sarah gave him a shove towards the stairs. Casey followed closely behind. Krang took a look around Castle as he walked down the stairs and was amazed at the amount of money spent putting the facility in place. He scowled.

"Keep moving," Sarah motioned down the hallway.

"Cell 4," Mortensen announced.

"Mortensen, would you mind calling up Beckman?" Sarah asked as she gave Krang another shove down the hallway towards the cell.

"On it."

The monitor in the debriefing room came on. Beckman's face showed a touch of sleepiness and irritation. "Colonel Casey, Mortensen, what is this about and why couldn't it wait until morning?"

The two men moved towards the table in front of the monitor. Casey was about to respond when Sarah entered the room and answered for him, "General, DD Krang has been arrested and placed into lockup."

That woke Beckman up instantly. "What? You arrested a CIA deputy director? Under whose authority and on what grounds?"

Sarah could feel resentment building towards Beckman, but held any outward display of her emotions in check. "He is responsible for Chuck's abduction. It appears that all this death and misery was part of a CIA operation gone bad."

"He has admitted that this was his operation," Casey added in defense of his partner. "Something about how dangerous the Intersect is."

Beckman ignore Casey's assessment. "You cannot arrest a DD on your own authority. That order must come from your superiors." Beckman shook her head. "Now, get that man out of detention and I will decide what to do with you two later. In the meantime, consider yourselves under arrest. Mortensen, lock them up." The monitor went dark.

"The hell with that." Mortensen was pissed and let it show. "Come on. I have fresh coffee in the kitchen."

Casey and Sarah looked at each other, shrugged, and followed Mortensen into the kitchen.

Sarah shook her head and looked like she wanted to tear Beckman apart. "No, there is no way in hell I'm turning that piece of garbage loose."

"No, you're not." Sarah and Casey turned to Mortensen in surprise, who held up his hand. "Nor are you under arrest."

She smiled. "I kind of figured that."

"Sit down, both of you. Please." He gestured towards the table. He turned to the counter and looped a finger through the handles of all three cups with one hand and took the coffee pot in the other.

He continued as he put his load on the table. "I do not report to General Beckman. As a matter of fact, I'm not even with intelligence."

Sarah was visibly nervous. "Then who are you and to whom do you report?"

He went to the fridge and stuck his head in to grab the milk. "I'm with the Secret Service."

Casey looked at Sarah with a stunned expression. "Did he say 'Secret Service'?"

"I think so," Sarah replied, equally stunned.

"Yup," Mortensen replied with a smile. It was always satisfying to see how seriously people took him when they found out what he did, and to have two of the governments best agents do it was doubly-so. He nudged the door to the fridge closed with his foot and joined the other two at the table. With his free hand he took out his ID, opened it, and flopped it onto the table.

"And, I report to POTUS. Directly."

Casey accepted it and was impressed. But Sarah didn't understand. She turned the ID around and examined it in every possible way. "Why would the President have gotten involved?"

Mortensen retrieved his ID, closed it, and shoved it back into his jacket pocket. "That is a very long story. Some of it is not related to Team Bartowski, so it is not for your eyes or ears. But here's the short version of what you two can be read into. The President is quite aware this team saved the better part of this country's intelligence community in spite of itself."

He studied their faces. He realized he was stating the obvious to them. "It was also the President's intent that Chuck's promise to his sister be honored by his country as part of its thanks for a job well done. If he wanted it, Chuck was out, free and clear." He looked from one agent to the other. "And that offer was to be made to each of you as well, full benefits, retirement package, the works."

The color in Sarah's face was slowly getting redder and brighter. "That bitch tricked Chuck. And us."

"I'm afraid so." His lips were drawn in a grimace. "Sarah, John, there are many things in the mission briefs that dismayed me. And frankly, made me quite ashamed to be a part of IntComm."

Mortensen paused and took a sip of his coffee. "There were two glaring items for me. First of all, Chuck should never have been classified as an asset. Not in the way that term is used today. Even without the Intersect, he would have made a hell of an analyst. Instead, he was threatened with isolation in a bunker for his own safety and it was hoped that he would cooperate? That's insanity."

"Second, I was quite revolted by how he had to endure the constant scrutiny and the invasion of his privacy. He was to be protected, not placed under house arrest."

Casey felt a bit of sting at Mortensen's words, as he was primarily responsible for keeping Chuck under constant scrutiny. It didn't bother him when he first started, as he had to perform that task many times before. But this was a different situation, and Chuck was a much different person. He trusted Sarah and him, even going so far as considering them friends. That grated against Casey, especially now that he considered Chuck a friend. The internal conflicts played across his face.

Mortensen didn't miss Casey's sullen gaze. "John, you were under orders. Don't blame yourself. Besides, General Beckman played you two against each other. Actually, I'm surprised that the two of you haven't come to blows."

_If you only knew the half of it_, Casey thought to himself and shot a look at Sarah. He smirked when he realized she was thinking the same thing.

Mortensen poured himself another coffee and Sarah slid her cup over, which Mortensen dutifully refilled.

"I'll deal with Beckman later. We need to work on getting Chuck back." That garnered smiles from both Sarah and Casey. "In the meantime, we are going to let Krang's wounds soften him up." He paused as he added some milk to his coffee. "All things considered, I'm kinda surprised he's still alive. You two did quite a number on him."

Casey gave a 'don't look at me' grunt and Sarah blushed and looked at the ceiling.

Mortensen quirked his eyebrows at Sarah and let out a small chuckle. He turned back towards Casey and appeared to be studying him. "Chuck has something in the system that looks like a dictionary called caseygrunts."

Sarah snorted.

His demeanor changed to a more serious tone, "Just to be clear, I am not taking over for Beckman, long term, just until we can get Chuck back. Are there any problems with that?"

"No, sir," Sarah responded as Casey simply shook his head.

"And it's Chris, not Sir. Former USMC Gunnery Sergeant. I work for a living. I have little use for officers." He looked over at Casey and smiled. "No offense, John."

Casey grunted. "None taken."

"Would you mind going home and getting some rest? I'd like to take the night shift and have you relieve me in the morning. Oh, do you think you could talk to Ellie or Devon into coming in and monitoring Krang during the interrogation? After all, he is still a DD."

"I'll talk to them, Chris. We'll be here by 9." Sarah turned a bit sheepish and shrugged. "What can I say? Civilians."

_**Dec 11, 2010 – 4:00 AM - **__**CIA Headquarters, **__**Langley, Virginia**_

_ping_ _ping_

"Bart, we have two hits; El Bucho and Lon Kirk."

"Cross-ref?"

Brenda read it off from the screen. "The first one; the restaurant has an announcement for a new mariachi guitarist. I wonder what happened to the last one."

Bart read the other item. "And the second is a story about the niece of Lon Kirk attending a …" There was a slight hesitation, then he finished reading with a slightly quizzical tone, "… debutante ball? Do they still have those?"

"I guess so. We lead a rather sheltered life, huh?"

Bart grunted and smiled. "We'll just store the items. Why did we get them so close together?"

"Local news uploads. It's a continuous process. We'll be getting additional updates from Advise and SIGINT as well."

_ping__-ping-ping-ping-ping-ping-ping-ping_

"Whoa!"

"Relax, Bart. Just go through them and mark them as store or analysis." She looked at Bart, "This is raw data. I wouldn't even call it intel yet. And we can get thousands of hits like this every day."

"How do you sift through all that?"

"You don't. Most of it just sits in the logs. We've opened up the filters so we are going to get a lot of hits. You read it and decide." She saw him frown. "You start to get a feel for the stuff and learn to adjust the filters. That restaurant notice would normally not get seen."

"But we could miss things!"

"Look at it this way. If I read everything, I would miss the important stuff. Let's use the restaurant as an example. It was an announcement. Meaningless. But, if there was a name, my triggers would compare the name against known entities in the database. If the person was new, it would leave it in the log. If it was a known baddie, it would pop up."

Bart eyes widened. "Then if that new guy becomes someone to watch for, you then go back through the logs?"

Brenda smiled. "Exactly. Then, with a change to the triggers, I could replay the process against the logs and see what else shows up. If it was a current mission, say, just a month or so ago, I would open the alerts a bit. We can also adjust the volume of the pings to the relative worth of the alert. Then there is the color coding I have along the edge of the screen here. Based on the alert level the items will get sorted to the tabs, each tab with a different color. Don't forget, we going on a massive fishing expedition. It's like going to a party where everyone is talking, loudly. You can't hear everything, but you get a piece here and a piece there."

He shook his head in disbelief at both the massive amounts of data and Brenda's ability to manage it. "Wow. This is a lot more complicated than I thought."

"Hell, if it were easy, we could train old spies to do it," she deadpanned.

Bart stared at her. Brenda burst out laughing. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

He smiled at her. "That's OK, make fun of an old man. Until I got out of the field, I never spoke with the analysts. There's a disconnect between collecting the intel, sifting through it and using it. Go ahead, you were giving me an education."

She gave him a smile and continued with her explanations, "Okay, so why do you think they call it chatter? If you sit back and listen, it has this… this hum to it. It almost like it's talking to you. One of these days I'll have to give you a walk through of the code and maybe a tour of the data center itself."

"One nerd per couple!" he exclaimed, slid his chair closer, and gave her a kiss.

Brenda grabbed him and kissed him back. _Weird doing this in the office._ She cocked an eye at him. "Mr. Bond, I know you know a lot more about computers than you let the others believe."

"True, but I do have a reputation to protect," Bart responded with a smirk.

"Your secret is safe with me," she smiled.

He thought about something Chuck had once told him as a joke. _'Beware the nerd, they run the world.' They do. From banks to intelligence. Even everyday things like traffic signals. Today's spy doesn't need a gun; he needs a nerd. They would have been watching my back. My back. No bullet, no pain._

He snuck a look at Brenda and watched her.

_**7:00 AM - LAX**_

He'd made a reservation for a Softail Fat Boy in 'Vivid Black', which was only available to law enforcement. And he had to pull in a few favors to get it. He would have much preferred an old Indian, but it was certainly better than the crap they'd built in the '70s. Of course, Chuck would tease him about not riding some exotic European bike. Nothing wrong with those. In Europe. But, when in the States, there was something about riding a big, fat Hog across the desert. Yeah, a silly romantic notion. But then again, that was the whole point, wasn't it? His real motive for this particular bike was to induce Chuck to ride again. How could you resist it?

The shuttle buses to the hotels were all lined up and waiting across the street from the taxis. He slung his overnight across his shoulder, tilted his larger suitcase onto its wheels and crossed the street. He had a short to-do list; hotel check-in, take a cab to the bike rental place and then head over to Echo Park. He was very tempted to head to Castle, but that would've tripped too many alarms and he wanted to avoid that for as long as possible. He'd sent another email to Chuck's regular account that morning, but Chuck hadn't responded to that one either.

_So, Chuck, where the hell are you?_ Cole thought to himself on the ride to the hotel. Two weeks and not a word. Granted, they didn't talk all the time, but he was the one that always went deep and there would be a response when he got back. His last mission in Hong Kong had gone well, although the Chinese would surely disagree. That thought brought a slight smirk to his face. On his way home, he requested two weeks off and didn't wait for approval.

_**8:00 AM - Echo Park**_

He knew the way to Echo Park from memory and arrived without much of a ride. There was plenty of time for that later. Cole pulled in to a spot and pushed the stand down. He killed the engine and pulled one leg up over the tank and laid it across the top of the bike.

He took his gloves off, pushed the visor up and pulled the helmet off his head. He dismounted the bike, stuffing the gloves into the helmet as he set off towards Chuck's apartment. Then he noticed the suits. No civilian would have, but he was no civilian.

Cole pulled out his sunglasses and put them on. _It's a bleedin' armed camp. Something's wrong._

He walked through the archway and into the courtyard and approached the front door. He looked over his shoulder to the right; _t__hat would be Casey's place._ He knew the suits had eyes on him and were making calls. He knocked on the door to Chuck's apartment. He saw a slight flicker behind the shades and heard Casey at his door. He turned to Casey and reached for his sunglasses. Casey already had a .45 trained on him and he felt a tug on his sleeve as he was dragged into the apartment.

He turned to the person who pulled him inside. "Sarah, love, what the hell is going on here?" He saw Casey behind him from the corner of his eye. "Casey, do you plan to shoot me?"

"Shut up."

Sarah gave Casey a scowl and then turned back to Cole. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd drop in and say hello. What's with all the suits out there?" Cole took a long look at Sarah and then at Casey. Both looked like they have not been sleeping well and perhaps drinking too much.

Casey gave a grunt of disbelief. "More like sniffing around Walker's skirt."

Cole turned on Casey. "Now that's uncalled for, mate! I haven't heard from Chuck since before Thanksgiving…" Again, he had that niggling feeling. S_omething's definitely wrong._

Sarah's eyes widened at her partner as her mouth dropped open. When she recovered, she was sharp with him. "Casey! Knock it off!"

Casey scowled as Sarah turned back to Cole. "Wait, you talk to Chuck? Since when?"

"Oh, dear. I guess the lad never told you. He and I have had quite a few conversations over the past two years. Where to begin?"

He looked at Casey, who had at least put his weapon away and had folded his arms across his chest, but still did not look too happy. "Hold on, where is Chuck?"

"Sit." Sarah instructed.

Cole moved towards the couch, sat and settled in. He looked back towards Casey and Sarah. "What is it with you two? I swear; I'm here just to say hello." He noticed Casey's scowl had gotten deeper. "And to answer you, my friend, I am not here to sniff… you know, that was rather disrespectful towards Sarah, no?"

Casey stared coldly at Cole before turning to Sarah. "My apologies. I was being crass."

She moved towards the couch and sat down in the neighboring seat with her arms on the rests. Cole now noticed the redness in her eyes.

"Chuck was abducted two weeks ago. And there has been very little in the way of leads."

Cole exhaled harshly and rubbed his forehead. "Now I understand. I am sorry to have barged in like this and setting you on edge. I was trying to look in on Chuck and stay under the radar."

He reached out to Sarah's hand, but she pulled it away. He left his empty hand there, but sensed what she and Casey were most likely thinking. He smiled. "Sarah, love. Listen, I'm engaged to a lovely woman. Thanks in no small part to your Chuck's encouragement."

Sarah exhaled and let her guard down at hearing that. She took his hand. "Congratulations, Cole."

"Thank you," he smiled at Sarah and tightened his hand around hers, giving it a heartfelt shake. Cole turned his head towards Casey. "Come, my man, sit."

He looked back at Sarah. "I put in for two weeks, so I'm yours. If we need more time, I'll wrangle that with my bosses."

Hearing 'wrangle' in a half British / half Texan accent almost hurt Casey's ears.

"Right now, I think we have a few things to catch up on."

Standing, Sarah released Cole's hand, "Let's hold off on that. We have a suspect in interrogation back at Castle. We can get you signed in at the same time."

Casey was much calmer than he was moments ago. "But we need to talk to Ellie first."

_**The Courtyard**_

Casey was the first through the door as they were about to leave. "Walker, go back inside. I need to take care of something first."

Looking past her partner, she saw what he wanted to do, and put a hand on his shoulder. "He looks good. We'll wait." She turned around and shooed Cole back into the apartment.

Morgan sat alone at the fountain looking at Casey's front door. Casey approached from the side, hoping to not startle him. He felt for the bearded sidekick; he had changed so much since arriving.

_He looks the same, just…older and sadder. No screwing around, John. You know what he's been through. _

"Hey Morgan."

"John!" He leapt to his feet and hugged the man. Suddenly his eyes went wide. "I am so sorry. I said some horrible things to you and Sarah. I was scared and angry..."

Casey took a half step back, "Grimes, lady feelings!"

"Oh! Sorry!" Morgan let go of Casey and was immediately grabbed into a hug by Casey.

"Morgan! Who the hell are you kidding?" Casey actually had a broad smile on his face. Morgan's shock at seeing it was quickly replaced by another more-pressing issue.

"Can't. Breathe."

Casey released Morgan and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I was getting worried about you there, buddy."

"Whew! I'm not sure whose hugs are worse, yours or Ellie's." When he recovered, it hit him. Casey actually called him 'buddy'. He cocked an eye at Casey.

That appeared to be the needed cue for the rest of the family to join them in the Courtyard. Alex ran out in tears to the two, first hugging Morgan, then her father and then back again. Other than that, Cole was the one drawing the most attention.

Sarah broke away from the group and pulled Ellie to the side. "Ellie, we need to talk for a second."

Casey caught part of their conversation out of the corner of his eye. It didn't look good, as Ellie was shaking her head 'no' throughout the conversation.

Ellie put a hand to her mouth and stared at Sarah in utter incredulity. "You want me to watch you beat a man?"

"No, interrogate him."

"That's just semantics. How else can you interrogate him if you don't…" Ellie was frowning, but her resistance to what Sarah was telling her was ebbing. "You really do mean interrogate him. Not…not torture?"

Sarah gripped Ellie's shoulders. "Ellie, I could never ask you to participate in a torture. We would like to have a doctor present to ensure that he is in good health before and after we are finished with him."

Ellie sighed, "And what if he won't talk?"

"I'm not asking you to help with that."

"You're being evasive…"

They both cringed at the sound of a loud, sharp whistle.

Alex had stood up on the fountain wall giving everyone a view of the petite woman. "Sorry, but I needed to get everyone's attention. I'm hearing things being talked about that …" she paused and continued speaking in a quieter voice, "… that I know I shouldn't even know about, let alone all of Echo Park. Perhaps we should 'play a little chess' in a more private place?"

Casey actually chuckled at his daughter's interruption and suggestion. "Agreed. Ellie, would you mind following me in your car? We can discuss all of this when we get there." He paused for a moment. "And it might be best if we used the back entrance."

Ellie thought about it for a second and looked at Devon. "Would you mind driving?"

"Morgan, Alex and Carina, you're with me," Casey beckoned with his hands as he turned to head to his car. He smiled to himself. _Sarah can work on Ellie on the way_.

He didn't realize Sarah and Ellie would talk the entire way to Castle.

_**The Room**_

Ellie! She had his sister and was going to kill her.

Sarah had bested him and he lay slumped against the wall. He tried to clear his head as he watched her drag Ellie away. He looked down and saw Sarah's gun lying under the chair and grabbed for it. It felt so incredibly heavy.

He pulled himself up onto the chair and then onto the small, round café table. His legs were wobbly, but he forced himself to stagger after Sarah and his sister. He found them, standing in the middle of the bridge, and she was using Ellie as a shield.

He had his gun out and trained at her forehead. A smaller target, but a kill shot.

His sister slumped, giving him a clear shot.

He had to save his sister. His finger slowly squeezed back on the trigger.

The pain was excruciating as his world went a bright white.

_**Castle – Debriefing Room**_

Sarah was thankful Morgan went with Casey, as she knew Ellie would want to discuss the whole thing. Ellie was so much like Chuck. Not that she had anything to hide, but she was hoping to treat Morgan with kid gloves as long as possible. Not that Sarah could blame her; he had been through hell.

Now her mind was racing as Ellie had insisted on doing the interrogation if the CIA wanted her cooperation. Devon was not pleased, but he broke quite easily under Ellie's pressure. However, he had a condition of his own: he was to provide the medical oversight. Should she allow a civilian to perform such an act? What would Chuck think?

Mortensen was waiting for them in Castle. _Bless his heart,_ Sarah thought. She couldn't imagine how he was able to live down in a dungeon for two weeks…voluntarily, no less…and not get grumpy. He looked happy to see everyone together. He even managed to get a wonderful breakfast laid out in time for their arrival.

_Casey, can we keep him?_ Sarah thought with an inward grin.

Sarah spoke with Mortensen for a moment. He nodded and set up a workstation, which Sarah showed to Ellie. "Ellie, everything you need can be brought up here."

"Thank you." Ellie settled herself into a chair and began reading about Deputy Director Krang. There was more info on the man than Sarah had sent her.

After staring at Ellie for a few moments, Casey started shaking his head, having second thoughts. "There has to be another way. Ellie is a civilian, for crying out loud."

Mortensen stepped in. "Not really a civilian, John. Both Ellie and Devon were read into this operation and they are on the payroll. They might not be field agents but they are members of the team."

"Wait, you like this idea?"

"I didn't say that, I was just reminding you that everyone here is…to some extent…on the team." He looked over at Cole, "Mr. Barker might cause a few raised eyebrows, but he does have an operational history with the team."

_With some more than others,_ Casey thought with a distinct moue. He pushed that idea to the side. "Okay, let's give it a try. It sounds insane and it breaks all kinds of protocols, but it might work."

Casey turned to Ellie. "How do you want to do this?"

Ellie smiled, as she already had a plan in mind. "No one speaks directly to him except for me. I want Krang to think of me as his benefactor." She looked over at Mortensen. "Can I see him on a monitor?"

In her mind, Sarah cringed. But outwardly, she steeled herself. Mortensen brought the video surveillance from the cell up on the main monitor. The man was sitting in a chair bolted to the floor with heavy restraints holding him at his arms, legs and chest. He had been cleaned up, but he had suffered heavy bruising and swelling around the head, eyes and hands.

"Oh, my God!" Ellie gasped. "Who did this?"

"Sarah was defending herself," Casey quickly responded to give his partner support. "She gave him a choice and he chose not to go quietly."

Ellie eyed Sarah cautiously. "Remind me to never piss you off." _And my brother wants to marry her__?_ She shook it off, "Cole, Casey, I'd like to use you two as muscle. Do you mind?" She stopped. "Wait, this is for appearances only. I just want to rattle him. Please, promise me you won't do anything to that man."

They both nodded.

"Good." She stood and approached the monitor. "I'd like you to enter the room first. Do not look at him; do not show any signs of aggression. Just take these two corners and stand at ease." Casey and Cole noted the two corners of the room where Ellie wanted them to stand. "After a minute or so, I'll enter and address him." She watched Krang on the monitor for a moment. "How should I address him?"

"Deputy Director Krang," Sarah replied, followed by a hard swallow as she looked at Krang on the monitor. _ Wow, __I really did lose it._

Ellie continued without giving an acknowledgement. "Then, Devon, I'd like you to come in. You'll know when."

"Gotcha, babe."

Casey turned to Devon. "Are you okay with this?"

"No, I'm not. But, frankly, I trust her to treat him better than…" he flinched before uttering something he shouldn't. _Sarah_. "We all want to get Chuck back, right? Ellie has the psych background."

Ellie turned to Devon. "Check him, but again, no speaking other than medically necessary."

Devon nodded.

She spoke to Alex next. "Alex, there are two cold water bottles in my bag, would you fetch them out, please?" Without waiting, she grabbed a chair and rolled it towards the detention area. "Gentlemen?" she called back to them.

Devon was right by her side; Casey and Cole had to double-time it to catch up.

Ellie gestured for Casey to enter the cell. "Remember, you two are for show only."

Casey nodded and slid his card into the key slot and opened the cell door. Cole followed him in and they each took a corner. Krang looked up at the open door.

Alex was at Ellie's side with the water. Ellie smiled. "Thank you, Alex. Please stay with the others."

Ellie entered with a slightly exaggerated show of distress from her pregnancy. "Good morning, Deputy Director Krang."

"Dr. Bahtowshi." His mouth was swollen, and the words did not come out quite right.

She did not display her surprise at the recognition. "First, I'd like to express my apologies for your rough treatment at the hands of my teammates."

"Thanksh," he sarcastically replied.

"Thirsty?"

"Yesh."

Ellie placed one sport bottle on her chair and opened the other, popping the cap off and pushing the nipple up. She moved closer to the man. "I caution you, drink slowly. It may sting a bit." She moved towards his side and placed the nipple near his lips.

He grimaced but continued to drink.

"I thought so. We should have a look at those injuries." She continued to hold the bottle for Krang as Devon entered.

"Any blurry vision?" she asked Krang. "Ringing in the ears?"

"No."

"Good. The doctor is going to check your injuries. Then we'll talk."

Devon examined the man's face and took a small flashlight out and flicked it his eyes. "Please follow my finger," he ordered as he shined the light in Krang's eyes. "No apparent concussion. The retina in his left eye appears torn." He opened the man's shirt and felt the ribs. Krang winced at the contact.

He took out a stethoscope and placed it on the man's chest. "Can you cough for me?" Krang complied. "Two broken ribs and quite a bit of bruising. I'd like to give a more thorough exam when you're done, Doctor."

"Thank you, Doctor. Hopefully, the Director will cooperate and we'll be done soon. I'll call for you later, then."

Devon nodded, gathered his things, and left the room.

Krang strained his head to each side, giving a wary glance to Cole and to Casey.

Ellie walked over to Cole and absently fidgeted with his collar while speaking to Krang. "Do you have any children, Director?"

"You shoohd have all dat in my file."

"Yes, but I am trying to talk to you, not get briefed for a mission. Do you have any children?"

Krang again looked at Cole and grunted.

"Are these two making you nervous?"

"No."

"Then why won't you answer my question?"

"Yes," he mumbled.

"Yes…you are nervous, or yes…you have children?" _Badger him. Keep him off balance._

"I haf a daughter." His throat was dry and his lips were cracking. He leaned his head down and tried to clear his throat.

Ellie brought the water bottle back to his lips and held it as he drank. "Was that so hard?" She smiled at him and brushed her belly with her hand. "As you can see, I am expecting a child myself. Aren't kids wonderful?"

Krang looked at Ellie but made no response.

"How old is your daughter, Mr. Krang?"

"Twelve," he huffed. Ellie had him agitated. "What's the point of all this?"

"I am trying to understand what motivates you. At the age of twelve, I had to take over the raising of my brother. I am as much his mother as his sister. Do you think your daughter could do that?"

"Should I be impressed?"

"I am not trying to impress you. I am telling you what motivates me." Ellie walked away from Krang, turned her chair to face Krang, and sat down. She looked straight into Krang's eyes. "Are you a monster? A traitor? Or misguided?"

"Ah, the point," he was trying to smile.

"Yes, the point! You took my little brother. I just want to know where he is." _God, I want to kill him. _

Ellie had to settle herself. _Calm, Ellie. Calm._

"The Intersect is a very dangerous asset to have running loose."

"But, that asset is my little brother. I'm sure you would like to see your little girl again, wouldn't you?"

"Are you threatening my daughter?"

"Of course not. I could never hurt an innocent child."

He heard Casey shift behind him. "Then who? Me?"

"No, I am not making threats at all. I want us to end this now before someone regrets a bad decision."

_Okay, time to get rid of the boys. _Ellie's tone softened. "Would you be more comfortable if I asked these men to leave?"

Krang hung his head but did not respond.

"Very well. I don't blame you, actually. I've known Casey for four years, and he still scares me." She looked up at Casey and Cole. "Would you two excuse us for a bit? I'd like to talk one parent to another."

"Are you sure, Ellie?" Cole looked at Casey. _Why not_, he mouthed.

"Yeah, could you? I'll be fine."

Cole and Casey headed towards the door. Ellie stopped before he exited. "Would you be a dear and get me another bottle? This one is empty, and I'm getting a little dry myself."

"Sure."

She followed them to the door and waited for a moment after they left. She punched her code into the cell keypad, allowing her to change the security code to the cell. She closed the door and locked it.

She turned back towards the Director and exhaled. "See, we're all alone now. Feeling better?"

Krang looked far more contemptuous towards Ellie than he did before Casey and Cole left. "You do realize your friends will be in a lot of trouble when our bosses find out they've arrested a deputy director without proper procedure."

Ellie took her seat. "Proper procedure?" she said innocently.

"I am a deputy director of the CIA. I can't simply be picked up off the street without approval. And you don't have that."

"Was it proper procedure to abduct my brother?"

"He is only an asset."

"Do you know how many people have died because of what you've done?" She stood up again with the second bottle in her hand. She opened it and moved closer to Krang. "Where is my brother?"

"I don't know."

Ellie couldn't hold back the surprise she felt with that information. "What? I thought you were in charge of the operation?"

"The lead on the project went rogue."

"Who is this rogue agent and where was Chuck being held?"

Krang wouldn't respond.

Ellie tossed the bottle onto her seat and moved behind Krang. She pulled out the Smith & Wesson 5906 pistol she had stashed in her back pocket.

"What are you doing?" Casey's voice came over the intercom.

Ellie heard banging on the glass and looked up. "Don't do this, Ellie!" Sarah screamed.

Ellie turned back to Krang. Ellie looked like she was losing her mind; something Krang wasn't expecting. "I told my husband not to leave this thing lying around. I told him someone could get hurt."

There was more banging on the glass as Devon and Cole joined Sarah. "Ellie, please unlock the door," Devon pleaded.

"You're not going to use that thing," Krang said derisively. "Your family has an aversion to guns. Besides, I don't think you would risk going to prison and never seeing your unborn child."

Ellie got in Krang's face. "I'm pregnant, full of hormones and you kidnapped my brother!" Her calm demeanor was completely gone as she shoved the gun under Krang's chin. "Do you know what happens when you stand between a mother and her cub? It gets ugly!"

The Deputy Director stared at Ellie. He tried to regain some composure, but seeing the more emotionally-stable of the Bartowski clan like this was quickly shaking his foundation.

Ellie grabbed the top of the man's head and pulled it back. She leaned over, her cheek against his, and faced the doorway. "See them?" she hissed and pointed at her family in the window with the gun in her other hand. The guttural tones emanating from the elder Bartowski were striking fear in Krang. "They think I'm capable. Maybe they know something you don't!"

She shoved his head forward. She wiped his sweat from her hand on his shirt in disgust.

"ELLIE! STOP! PLEASE!"

Ellie heard a new voice over the intercom. A woman's voice.


End file.
